Comms 239 Personal Code of Conduct Due: Dec.

9 at class Remember when we asked you at the beginning of the semester to define journalism and what it means to be a journalist? The hope is that your thoughts have evolved over the course of the semester. This assignment gives you the opportunity to articulate what journalism means to you and what kind of journalist you intend to be (if you do not intend to be a journalist, what kind of consumer of news do you intend to be?). It should not be less than four pages and not more than five. It should articulate your code of conduct for practicing journalismboth here at BYU and beyond. Specifically, how do we define or identify excellence in journalism? Why are such aspects as independence, verification, public vigilance and other elements of the press are essential? What personal code of conduct do you plan to live by as a journalist? (For those members of the class who do not intent to major in journalism, what do you think a journalists code of conduct should be?) The following is an example code from Comms 480. For Comms 239, please try to use references from scriptures, conference talks, texts used in Comms 239, codes of ethics, and other references. NAME REMOVED Individual Code of Ethics PREAMBLE: This is a representation of my own personal ethical beliefs. This code will serve as a guide to help me to be successful in my future endeavors in the workplace, at home, and in any other organizations I will participate in. This success will not be defined as material wealth nor position or rank, but rather peace of conscience, confidence, and the ability to build strong, lasting relationships. These values are guideposts to be applied in all situations life may put me in. Particularly in difficult situations, these values are to be remembered, called upon, and put into action. They are to guide not only my actions, but my motivations and desires, and thus as a byproduct, what kind of person I will become.

I am a strong believer in the concept of virtue ethicsthe idea of living and becoming what you believe guides many of the values within my ethical code.1 I hope these values will not just stand as statements of belief, but will become a part of my character and from there, influence my actions. PERSONAL VALUES: Faith I have the faith necessary to help make good things happen in my life or the lives of others.2 Integrity Stand as [a] witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [I] may be in, even until death.3 Charity I try to understand others feelings and see their point of view.2 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth no in inquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must failbut charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever.4 We must promote the common good, and acknowledge our common human nature as defined by Aristotle. Pojman summarizes this idea by stating, There is more that unites all humanity than divides us.5 Humility Be thou humble and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the handandshall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.6 Temperance Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.7 Honesty

Baker, Sherry (2008). 'The Model of The Principled Advocate and The Pathological Partisan: A Virtue Ethics Construct of Opposing Archetypes of Public Relations and Advertising Practitioners', Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 23:3, 235 253 2 Preach my gospel. (2004). Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (p. 126). 3 Mosiah 18:9. Book of mormon. U.S.A.: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 Moroni 7:44-47. Book of mormon. U.S.A.: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 5 Pojman, L. P. and J. Fieser. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong, 6e. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth and Cengage Learning, 2009, 41-42. 6 Rowley, G.T. (1927). Be Thou Humble, Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #130. 7 Holland, J. (2007). The Tongue of Angels, Ensign, May 2007, 1618.

I will adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those I represent and in communicating with the public.8

CODE PROVISIONS: Free and Open Communication It is essential to serving public interest and contributing to informed decision making in a democratic society,5 family relationships, and relationships with others. There must be open communication lines to encourage the discussion of feelings, ideas, and desires to encourage harmony and the general public interest. Safeguarding Confidences Develop trust by honoring confidentiality and private information.5 This is key to keeping and developing trusting relationships within any organization, including the family. This includes garnering respect and empathy towards anothers situation and refraining from gossip or causing undue embarrassment. Seek Truth and Share It [I] should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information (or, in other words, truth).9 It is my responsibility to share the truth. It would be morally wrong to keep truth to oneself, thus it is our duty to share and declare it. This follows the statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith, A man filled with the love of God (who knows truth), is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.10 Maximize Happiness Plato and Aristotle defined true happiness as separate from pleasure and attainable as we fulfill our human nature and duty. We have purpose. Part of our purpose is to become a high-level reasoning, high-disciplined species. When we are growing, and helping others to fulfill their roles as human beings, we can live a virtuous life, and find true happiness.11

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PRSA. (2009). Prsa code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/ SPJ. Society of professional journalists: code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp 10 Smith, J. History of the church, 4:227. 11 Pojman, L. P. and J. Fieser. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong, 6e. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth and Cengage Learning, 2009, 55-57.