ABSTRACT
This chapter describes roles journalists play in society and examines some of the ethical issues and decisions these individuals face on a daily basis in doing their jobs. The need to be informed is a strong human trait, one that provides a foundation for the practice of journalism. Traditionally, journalists have been individuals employed by established media organizations in the business of objectively and truthfully reporting the events of the day to the public. Some journalists mastered their craft on the job under the guidance of their employers, where they learned to report the news according to the style of a particular media organization. One of the longstanding guiding principles of the field of journalism has been the freedom afforded by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. A good starting point in discussing appropriate ethical conduct is to look at the news values that guide the production of journalistic stories.
