Bellisario College scholar helps update influential journalism ethics code

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A faculty member in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications played a key role in revising the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, a widely recognized guide to ethical journalism. The organization decided it was time for the code to address rapid changes in news consumption and creation. It’s just the fifth time in nearly 100 years the code has been updated.

Patrick Plaisance, the Don W. Davis Professor in Ethics at the Bellisario College, served on a diverse committee of 16 journalists, educators, scholars and leaders. The SPJ Code of Ethics is one of the most widely accepted and respected sets of standards for journalists. In a challenging era for journalism, the code helps news outlets and independent journalists to share principles that encourage accountability and help maintain credibility.

“It was an honor to have a hand in the new wording,” Plaisance said. “And it was a privilege to work with the folks on the committee … who were great journalists and some great thinkers.”

The Code of Ethics was last updated in 2014 to adjust to changes in the news industry driven by social and other digital media. The latest changes will help the code stay relevant by adapting to new issues facing journalism, like artificial intelligence, rampant misinformation and the rise of independent and creator-driven journalism.

Plaisance said he wanted the revision to include language that highlighted some key virtues. A scholar in media ethics and moral psychology, he suggested phrasing that emphasized qualities such as courage, curiosity and humility while preserving the code’s core principles. He and other colleagues on the committee felt it was important to avoid addressing any technology specifically. For example, Plaisance said the committee debated whether to include AI (artificial intelligence) in the new code.

“The committee went round and round, because it’s such a transformative technology and disruptive in all kinds of ways,” he said. “But we had the same debate 12 years ago about whether or not the code should include hyperlinks … and of course, no one is talking about hyperlinks anymore.”

Plaisance said that the committee agreed to instead emphasize the language on journalists’ responsibility and accountability. According to the SPJ website, the proposed changes also stressed the importance of verifying information and amplifying voices — all while maintaining its four foundational principles: Seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable and transparent.

The process included monthly Zoom meetings and an in-person gathering in June. It included feedback from a survey of more than 700 people, including journalists, students, teachers and members of the public. In April, the committee hosted two public discussions, which shared survey findings and explored other areas of the ethics code.

The committee’s work is complete. The proposed SPJ Code of Ethics is currently being shared throughout the organization for feedback. Next, it will be sent to the organization’s board of directors for a vote on Sept. 25, followed by a final vote in early October by members of SPJ.

Plaisance said that codes of ethics are aspirational. They do not deliver answers or solutions to dilemmas. Instead, they provide values that help professional journalists be their “best professional selves.”

“I think a lot of people have a misconception that codes of ethics should be documents that you go to find answers to dilemmas. I think that's a mistake. That's not what codes of ethics do,” Plaisance said. “Ethics is not about having the right answer … It’s about getting good at asking the right questions.”