Get some direction

SPJ answers ethical questions from…

• Journalists on assignment
• Media students who have been assigned ethics classwork
• Curious and/or annoyed members of the public

All inquiries are confidential unless you say otherwise – it’s fine to tell your audience you consulted us. If you wish, we can comment on the record.

Before submitting your question, please read the appropriate section below, then click the blue button…

Journalists

Note that we didn’t say professional journalists. We believe “professional” defines how you do the job, not if it is your job. SPJ believes anyone can commit an act of journalism.

If you’re a full-time, recreational, or student journalist, be sure to give us a deadline to respond. We’re volunteers, which is why this service is free. So it requires more coordination than simply calling an infomercial number where operators are standing by.

Media students

We hear from students more than anyone else. We’re happy to help, but every semester, several students wait until the very last minute to contact us. Your procrastination isn’t our problem, so there’s a good chance we won’t respond in time.

Like the communication methods you’re studying, be pithy when presenting your topic and angle. We don’t respond to the likes of this actual request: “Need someone to talk ethical stuff.”

The public

Journalists do a much better job explaining the world than explaining themselves. If you have ethical questions about something you’ve seen, heard, or read, we’ll do our best to answer them.

Just remember that SPJ doesn’t certify or sanction journalists. (See our FAQ for why that is.) We find peer pressure works best, so if you see something egregious, we might comment on it more widely (while protecting your identity).

If you see coverage that truly upsets you, SPJ suggests contacting the media outlet. If they’re professional and ethical, they’ll explain their choices and their newsgathering process without getting defensive.