In our newsroom, ethical questions came at me at a rate that kept me amazed. Big questions about the necessity to identify a source, with high-stakes stories hanging in the balance. Smaller questions, about six-packs and other treats that grateful sources would bring to our doorstep. As a journalism student many years ago, I figured the ethics training I received was preparing me for a once-in-a-career moment, a defining decision. Not so. Instead, it became a regular consideration. And, often, I would consult the SPJ Code and others for guidance.

It’s a funny thing, journalism. When done right, its practitioners, who are unlicensed, conduct themselves with a transparent integrity that sometimes even the most heavily licensed, regulated professionals don’t possess. It’s a testament to the ideals of journalism (sadly, not always the actual practice) that professionals in other fields would hold up the SPJ code as a model of honest, fair dealing. But that code is only as worthy as the degree to which it is upheld by the people who profess to live by it.

Good work!