A reflection on the responsibility of the press, the public, and the principles that guide my work.
Journalism has always meant more to me than writing a story or reporting a series of events. It is a responsibility. One I learned about through my education, my experience, and the work I’ve done as a journalist.
The ethics of journalism are at the heart of that responsibility. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics provides a framework for how journalism should be practiced, grounded in four principles: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent.
Journalism is a practice built on trust. It asks us to pursue information, question what we’re told, verify what we can, and tell stories with honesty and integrity. These principles aren’t just academic concepts I encountered in school. They are the foundation of how I believe journalism should be practiced and the standards I use to guide my own work.
And they’re worth revisiting, especially now.
Why I’m Writing This
We’re living through a period when the relationship between political power and the press is under significant strain. On September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump announced restrictions barring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The outlets have challenged those restrictions in court, while the administration has argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right. The dispute raises questions about press freedom, government access, and the First Amendment. [1]
This piece is not intended to be a political statement or an endorsement of one political party over another.
It is an educational piece.
Because regardless of who occupies the White House, who controls Congress, or which political party holds power, we need to understand the principles that protect independent journalism and the responsibilities that come with practicing it.
We have people in positions of power who can influence public narratives, challenge reporting, criticize journalists, and shape how audiences perceive the news. That makes it even more important to understand what journalism is supposed to do, what ethical standards guide it, and why the public has a role in holding the press accountable.
This is something I take seriously.
The Code That Guides My Journalism
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics provides the framework I use to think about responsible journalism.
The code is built around four foundational principles:
Seek Truth and Report It.
Minimize Harm.
Act Independently.
Be Accountable and Transparent.
These principles are not a guarantee that every journalist or news organization will get everything right. They are a professional framework for making decisions, taking responsibility, and explaining the work.
The code asks journalists to verify information, provide context, identify sources, avoid conflicts of interest, correct mistakes, and resist pressures that compromise their independence.
One principle, in particular, speaks to the role journalism plays in a democratic society:
“Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless.”
That responsibility does not depend on whether the person in power is someone a journalist agrees with.
The press is not supposed to function as a public relations department for the government. Its responsibility is to gather information, examine claims, investigate matters of public interest, and report what the evidence supports.
That includes reporting on people and institutions whose decisions affect the public, even when the reporting is uncomfortable or unwelcome.
The First Amendment and the Responsibility of the Press
The First Amendment protects freedom of the press. It provides an important constitutional foundation for independent journalism, but it does not eliminate the need for ethical standards.
The law and journalism ethics are related, but they are not the same thing.
The First Amendment addresses constitutional protections and government restrictions. The SPJ Code of Ethics provides professional principles for how journalists should conduct their work. The SPJ itself describes its code as a guide rather than a legally enforceable set of rules. [2]
Understanding that distinction matters.
Freedom of the press does not mean that journalists are incapable of making mistakes. It does not mean every news organization is equally reliable. It does not mean criticism of journalism is prohibited.
It means we need to preserve the conditions in which independent reporting can take place while also demanding that journalists do their jobs responsibly.
We should be able to question the government and question the press.
Those responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
The Public Has a Responsibility, Too
Journalists have an obligation to their audience. But the public has a responsibility to journalism, too.
The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, [3] during the Reagan administration, changed the regulatory landscape for broadcast media. Supporters argued that the policy restricted free expression, while critics worried about the loss of contrasting viewpoints in public broadcasting. Its effects remain debated, and it is important not to treat the repeal as the sole cause of today’s media problems.
What matters to me is understanding how the media landscape has changed and taking greater responsibility for the information we consume. We should question reporting, recognize potential bias, and seek out news organizations that prioritize accuracy, independence, transparency, and ethical journalism.
Accountability doesn’t mean dismissing the press. It means being thoughtful about where we get our information and expecting journalists to uphold the standards that make public trust possible.
Independence Matters
One of the principles in the SPJ Code of Ethics is to act independently.
For me, that principle is central to the purpose of journalism.
A journalist should not be expected to report what a president, political party, advertiser, source, or other powerful institution wants them to say. The obligation is to pursue accurate information and report it responsibly.
That does not mean journalists are free from personal perspectives or that objectivity is a simple switch they can turn on and off. It means they should examine how their experiences and values may shape their reporting, identify conflicts of interest, seek relevant perspectives, and remain accountable for their decisions.
Independence requires discipline.
It requires the willingness to ask another question, check another source, reconsider an assumption, and acknowledge when the evidence does not support the initial understanding of a story.
And sometimes, it requires reporting something that powerful people would rather not see reported.
Why This Matters to Me
Truth matters because it shapes opinion, and opinion shapes our society.
The information we receive influences how we understand the world, how we respond to events, and how we hold people in power accountable. When the truth is distorted, manipulated, or repeatedly undermined, it can leave people feeling powerless. But we are not powerless.
We have the ability to ask questions. To look beyond the headline. To examine the source. To recognize when a narrative is being shaped for us rather than supported by evidence.
That responsibility belongs to all of us.
Don’t be passive about the information you consume. Do your due diligence. Question what you’re reading. Seek out news organizations that prioritize accuracy, independence, transparency, and ethical reporting. Follow journalists who take their responsibility seriously, and hold them accountable when they fall short.
I take these principles seriously in my own work. My journalism standards are grounded in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, which provides a framework for seeking truth, minimizing harm, acting independently, and remaining accountable and transparent.
I know that having standards doesn’t mean I’ll never make a mistake. It means I believe in doing the work responsibly, acknowledging mistakes when they happen, and continuing to learn.
Because the stories we tell shape how people see the world. And how people see the world shapes the society we create.
An Invitation to Stay Aware
This is not about asking everyone to agree with every journalist or every news organization.
It is about understanding the role of journalism in a democracy and recognizing that independent reporting requires both professional responsibility and public attention.
We should care about the accuracy of the news we consume. We should care about the treatment of sources and subjects. We should care about transparency, accountability, and the ability of journalists to investigate those in power.
And we should remain aware when the conditions surrounding independent journalism change.
The press is not infallible. Neither is government. Neither are we as readers, viewers, or citizens.
That is precisely why ethical standards matter.
They give us something to examine, question, and return to.
For me, journalism is not about telling people what they want to hear.
It is about doing the work to understand a story and reporting it with integrity.
That is the standard I believe in.
And it is one I intend to keep learning from.
Read the full Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics: spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics
Story & Process is an ongoing exploration of journalism, storytelling, and the decisions behind the work.
Sources
[1] Associated Press September 18–22, 2026, MS NOW, CNN and Politico say their journalists were denied access to White House after Trump ban
[2] Society of Professional Journalists, SPJ Code of Ethics.
[3] Reagan Library. (n.d.). The Fairness Doctrine. Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/topic-guide/fairness-doctrine
