Alicia Ogierman Personal Code of Ethics Define Ethics: The moral standards or duties which one upholds in a professional

setting which helps guide the individual decision making process. While this may seem generalized, it is also indeed tailored to each person based upon their recognition of their duty to themselves, coworkers, publics and affiliated organizations. Each individual is influenced by their personal affiliation to societya lawyer will have different ethical values than that of a comedian. The values may differ significantly but that does not make one ethical standard better than the othereach to their own. Personal Affiliation: To whom do you belong to in the field of Mass Communication? Well, while communication is communication regardless of which way you flip itit is known for its branches. Personally, I reside in the field of News Production. While many immediately associate news with reporters, journalists and anchorsthere are people behind the scenes who glue it all together. Hello, thats me (hopefully)the producer. Many of the same values are held by all staff of a news department which surrounds getting the correct information to the public quickly. Quickly and correct, how does that work? Code of Ethics: Basic Guidelines Accuracy Provide the public in every newscast with the sole delivery of TRUTH, no questions askedalways spot-on information. Create an atmosphere with staff members who encourage diligent work in processing and creating a truthful story. Approach stories from a non-bias and removed standpointleave judgments and personal interpretations at the door.

Critically analyze both sides of a storydont simply tailor writing or analysis solely to the victimmultiple viewpoints make a story richer. Fairness Avoid editing interviews to fit one angle of the story. Aim to be truthful to their original meaning by not obstructing their words. What the interviewer says and means should be reflected in the story. When targeting any controversial story with two clear sidesseek out those who are most knowledgeable in that field from each viewpoint so each can accurately represent their community values. Do not pick a side to please in a storywrite fair and truthful and the wrongdoers will be lit naturally. Transparency Operate like the government should by posing as an open book free for the public to evaluate work reasonably. Reveal what is necessary to provide confidence in the minds of the public. Uphold no outside influences on story coverageact one step removed. Respect Be a humanhave compassion. Treating anyone who comes into contact with our journalism with respectact civil in word expression and know when to not be pressing. Seek answers, not confrontationact not as the judge but as an investigator. Find a balance between the obligations to the news organization and the story while being mindful of the duties to respect the privacy of the public. Excellence Understand that the pride one has in their journalism reflects the success of the story, the newscast and the station. Take pride. Be a storyteller but remember sensationalism is not excellent or powerful, truth is.

Potter Box Factors: Values ProfessionalFirstness, Impact/Magnitude, Recency, Entertainment, Novelty, Thoroughness, Immediacy, Publics Right to Know. Essentially each deal with the delivery of daily news. While staying truthful is the number one prioritycompetition is second which reflects each of the professional values above.

MoralTruthtelling, Humanness, Justice/Fairness, Honesty, Commitment. As reflected in the Code of Ethics, these values are undeniable in News and are necessary in providing the public with a source to trust. AestheticImaginative. In order to produce an intriguing newscast, each element needs to be creative and thought provoking in hopes of pulling in viewers. LogicalConsistent, Competent, Logical. As a storyteller, these values are of upmost importance. Without the recognition of these factors there would be no story and no continued viewership.

Loyalties Duty to myselfthe obligation I have to be the best and most effective news producer I can be. Being able to walk about from the job knowing that I have upheld all personal ethical principles. Duty to organizationwithout a successfully ran program which is only possible through the integration of all principles in the Code of Ethics, the news organization would be a failure. Duty to professional colleaguesthe duty as a producer to compile a complete and accurate newscast with the work of my colleagues is critical. The master controller has much responsibility to all participants of the work. Duty to societyputting forth the most truthful and responsible newscast to the public is what keeps a news organization in business. Our client is the public.

Principles Confucius Golden MeanIdentify all extremes in relation to the production of a newscast. Reject the extreme of sensationalism and untruthfulness but also reject the extreme of no news at all or news with little content and substance. Choose the middle path of a balanced and fair newscast that still intrigues the viewer through good storytelling but have that story be of the upmost truth. Rawls Veil of IgnoranceStates that fairness is fundamental to justice as it is to news. Roles of social differentiation eliminated when angling or writing a story/newscastno prior judgment based solely upon a persons or groups race, class or gender.

References National Public Radio. (2012). This is NPR and these are the standards of our journalism. Retrieved from http://ethics.npr.org/. Radio Television Digital News Association. (2013, September 16). RTDNA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.rtdna.org/article/rtdna_code_of_ethics#.UoRiNOLl7ad .