Which journalistic decisions would violate the code of ethics set by the society of professional journalists? select two options. a newspaper places an ad on the page opposite an article about foreign policy. a journalist reports on a series of robberies

General
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which journalistic decisions would violate the code of ethics set by the society of professional journalists? select two options. a newspaper places an ad on the page opposite an article about foreign policy. a journalist reports on a series of robberies that occurred in his own neighborhood. a reporter writes a story about his wife’s company without revealing their relationship. a magazine runs a series of articles speculating about a celebrity’s medical history. an editor refuses to publish an article about a politician due to questionable sources.

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Which journalistic decisions would violate the code of ethics set by the society of professional journalists?

Answer:

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has a code of ethics that outlines the professional standards and principles that journalists should adhere to. From the options provided, the two decisions that would likely violate the code of ethics are:

  1. A reporter writes a story about his wife’s company without revealing their relationship: This scenario violates the SPJ’s code of ethics, specifically the principle of transparency and accountability. Journalists are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including personal relationships that could affect their reporting. Failing to disclose a close personal relationship that could influence the objectivity of the reporting undermines the integrity and credibility of the journalist and the news organization.

  2. A magazine runs a series of articles speculating about a celebrity’s medical history: Speculating about a celebrity’s medical history without verified information violates the SPJ’s code of ethics, particularly the principle of minimizing harm and seeking truth and reporting it. Publishing speculative articles about a person’s health without substantiated facts can cause harm to the individual’s reputation and privacy. It also goes against the fundamental journalistic responsibility of reporting verified information rather than engaging in unfounded speculation.