Accountability and Transparency in Journalism

            Out of the four main ethical obligations of journalists listed on the Society for Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, I find the most important to uphold to be accountable and transparent. 

By definition, to be accountable means to be held responsible for the explanation of one’s work. This is incredibly important for journalists to abide by, for if a journalist is putting their own words out for the public to read and take to be true, they must be able to explain their words and answer any questions posed by the public. Being able to do so essentially makes a journalist credible.

To be transparent, on the other hand, means to be open. A journalist must be open about any motives behind an article or any reason for bias to appear in a story; the facts must be laid out for the public to digest and form conclusions from. In being transparent, a journalist can gain more trust from the public and thus gain more readers and build credibility.

             Being accountable and transparent increases the credibility of any journalist. Whether it be by quickly correcting any mistakes, clarifying information, exposing unethical activity done by any organization, or by holding themselves to the highest of standards, accountability and transparency are important in journalism to keep journalists trustworthy. If it weren’t for these obligations, the public would not be able to trust the word of any journalist, and the freedom of the press would do no service to a suspicious public.