ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. When looking at journalism's ethics, it will become apparent that part of the problem may lie with the standards themselves. The book examines the historical origins of the codes of ethics and the ways in which journalists talk about ethics. It argues that more recent changes in the newspaper industry are threatening to make journalism's institutional conversation about ethics not merely occasionally inconsistent, but irrelevant, or even meaningless. The book also looks at one of the core myths—the myth of objectivity, which keeps journalists from finding more productive ways of thinking about and fulfilling their public responsibilities. It sketches the outlines of a professional ethics for journalism that rests upon a pragmatist theory of knowledge and a more complete account of the role of the news media in society.
