Have Journalists abandoned their code of ethics?

Yeah I know, I'm as surprised as anyone to hear that journalists have a code of ethics, I thought it would be 1, don't tell the editor when you do something illegal. 2, Don't shit where you eat.

The British press hasn't had the best reputation over the last few years, journalists for a lot of people shape the views of people, because the newspaper and TV news watching public generally feel that you can't print something in a news paper for example, that is untrue, the public believe that despite numerous high profile court cases, that journalists are held to account by rules, laws, and a code of conduct.

In reality, the code of conduct serves only as a yard stick, a set of guides to show what they can and can't get away with, and of course there are those journalists who believe that they can print whatever they want, and whatever their employers want, true or not, because there is always the option to retract the story that arrived to massive fanfare, in a one inch square retraction on page 15 just below a carpet right add.

So what is the journalists code of conduct, and how does it work for journalists, and more importantly, how do we the people, hold the journalists to account when they break that code of conduct.

This is the Journalists code of conduct available for all to see on the NUJ website.

A Journalist:

At all times upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of freedom of expression and the right of the public to be informed.

Strives to ensure that information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate and fair.

Does her/his utmost to correct harmful inaccuracies

Differentiates between fact and opinion

Obtains material by honest, straightforward and open means,with the exception of investigations that are both overwhelmingly in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means.

Does nothing to intrude into anybody's private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest.

Protects the identity of sources who supply information in confidence and material gathered in the course of her/his work.

Resists threats or any other inducements to influence, distort or suppress information and takes no unfair personal advantage of information gained in the course of her/his duties before the information is public knowledge.

Produces no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Does not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of her/his own work or of the medium by which she/he is employed.

Does not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of her/his own work or of the medium by which she/he is employed.

A journalist shall normally seek the consent of an appropriate adult when interviewing or photographing a child for a story about her/his welfare.

Avoids plagiarism.

With this code of conduct in mind, go take a look at twitter for a while, take a look at the shocking way so called journalists behave, as they try to influence how the reader thinks about a story, and what you will find is a lot of people too talentles to be real journalists, so they become client journalists, they are the ones that can barely cobble together a coherent sentence, yet seem to be in the public conscience every bloody day, you know who they are, let's put it this way, they are no stranger to the offices of the Sun, The Daily Mail, Talk Radio and GB News.

So how do we stay informed when the very people who are duty bound by their profession to wear their honesty and integrity on their sleeve, get themselves caught up in the various culture wars, making their output look more like a rant from a divorcee that has had a little bit too much time on his hands to think, but put no real effort into that thinking, and spills his own bitterness onto the page in front of god and everyone, because that's the only way he can feel good about his complete failure of a career and life? *not necessarily Laurence Fox.

You fact check, I know it can be a long and arduous task, and there are so many fact checking sources, but doing your own research into current events, can help you decide on where you stand on a subject, rather than have a journalist who is paid by a billionaire who has his own agenda, tell you what to think.

You see journalism, used to be about stating the facts and letting the reader come to their own conclusions, a story would give you the facts and not try to influence your opinion one way or another, but unfortunately, those days are gone, and the new king is the generation of journalism that is far more interested in influencing the public than informing them, in a world where clicks and likes are the reward, rather than the trust built over years as a straight talking no nonsense but fair professional, who though many might not like what they have to say, is respected for their tenacity, and their commitment to the truth, the Boston Globe springs to mind.

So if you want to stay informed, if you no longer want to be lied to and manipulated, find a trusted source for fact checking, and remove all the doubt from your mind.

We have had the information revolution, we are now in the information war, and in that war, there is one casualty that we must do all we can to keep alive, THE TRUTH!

Photo by Velroy Fernandes: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ethnic-man-with-burning-newspaper-in-hands-4179200/