Journalism ethics code updated for AI era amid trust crisis

Journalism's century-old ethics framework gets its first AI-era update

The Society of Professional Journalists is revising its voluntary Code of Ethics for the first time in 12 years, responding to the rapid emergence of generative AI and fundamental shifts in how journalism is practiced and consumed.

The updated draft, developed over a year of deliberation by the SPJ Ethics Committee, expands the existing code from 894 words to 967 words while maintaining its four core principles: Seek Truth and Report It, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, and Be Accountable and Transparent.

Dan Axelrod, chairman of the SPJ Ethics Committee and former Gannett business reporter, frames the revision as essential to democracy itself. The committee convened in Indianapolis in June after extensive virtual meetings to finalize the draft, which will face a membership vote in October.

Why it matters

As traditional newsroom employment contracts and one-third of journalists now work as freelancers or self-employed creators, the industry lacks unified ethical standards at precisely the moment public trust in media has cratered. The code's treatment of AI accountability—making clear that journalists remain responsible for their work regardless of tools used—establishes a baseline expectation as newsrooms increasingly deploy automated systems to cut costs.

New language addresses AI accountability

The draft code deliberately avoids naming specific technologies, instead establishing a principle that will outlast current tools: "Remember that speed, technology or medium do not excuse inaccuracy or unfairness. Journalists are ethically responsible for their work, regardless of tools and technologies used."

"We don't want people using the excuse of a technology to say that they couldn't produce things ethically and transparently," said Chris Roberts, vice chairman of the committee and journalism professor at the University of Alabama.

The revision also addresses verification standards, misinformation, crime reporting, and fabricated images—all areas where AI has created new ethical challenges.

Expanding beyond traditional newsrooms

The committee designed the updated code to serve the growing population of independent journalists, online influencers, and citizen reporters who now comprise a significant portion of the journalism ecosystem. According to a Pew study cited in the accompanying report, fully one-third of journalists were freelance or self-employed in 2023.

Eric Deggans, NPR's critic-at-large and a media ethics professor at Washington and Lee University, noted the code serves crucial functions beyond training: "If you're operating in a country that has had authoritarian rule for a long time or doesn't have a long history of a free press, how do you figure out how that works? You turn to the SPJ code."

Fixing problematic language

One significant revision replaces the phrase "Give voice to the voiceless" with "Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Counter the unfair marginalization of those with less power."

The original phrasing assumed certain groups lacked a voice, when the actual problem is that mainstream outlets often ignore existing voices from marginalized communities, Deggans explained.

Challenges ahead

The code remains voluntary and unenforceable, raising questions about its relevance as the industry fragments. Current SPJ President Chris Vaccaro maintains confidence in its continued influence: "We're definitely not going to operate under the assumption that no one's going to use it or nobody cares, or journalism's changed so drastically that it doesn't matter. It does matter."

Deggans expressed concern that some outlet owners pressure employees toward unethical practices, noting he wishes "some people who owned journalism outlets would read the code."

The Society of Professional Journalists, founded in 1909, adopted its first ethics code in 1926 and has revised it only five times previously—in 1973, 1984, 1987, 1996, and 2014. The organization currently has approximately 4,000 members nationwide.

Details of the ethics code revision were first reported by Jocelyn Noveck for the Associated Press and published in the Los Angeles Times.