Lesson Plan

Journalists Code of Ethics

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Journalists are supposed to adhere to a Code of Ethics. To determine the degree to which reporters follow this code, individuals select three recent stories with photographs from newspapers, magazines, online news sites, or television news and analyze each story for whether it complies with the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. They then write a paragraph about each story evaluating how the story complies with the code.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Ask class members to bring in copies of newspapers and news magazines
  • Local newspapers often have a program where they will provide a free class set of newspapers for the classroom; see if the program is available for your school
  • Have pupils compare how the same story is reported in newspapers and on MSMBC and Fox news
Classroom Considerations
  • Set aside extra prep time to download and print individual copies of the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
  • Learners need access to computers with internet and online news websites
Pros
  • The exercise encourages critical thinking and the importance of journalistic standards
Cons
  • None
Common Core