Ethics in Journalism

According to the Society of Professional Journalism’s code of ethics “the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.” During this election year journalists have been doing just that, reporting on the every move of the presidential candidates. When asked if it was ethically correct to pry into the personal lives of the presidential candidates’ four out of six Quinnipiac students said yes.

When the New York Times published a story back in February 2008 about Senator McCain and his alleged affair with a lobbyist some saw this as nothing more than political gossip. Junior Anthony Mauti said “What the Senator does in his personal life is his own business everyone has a right to some privacy.” Others felt that the personal lives of the candidates should be further explored. Junior Jennifer Higgins said “As a potential president we have the right to know about his personal life. His actions reflect on his integrity. Even though we should focus more on the issues at hand, his personal choices do affect the American public and should be taken into account when voting.”

As the American people we have a right to know about the actions of a future president. Their personal lives and choices reflect heavily on their character. Junior Sam Bastoni said “It is morally wrong to pry into someone’s personal life. However, when you are running for president your life becomes public knowledge and your actions affect the country as a whole. If you make poor decisions in your own personal life, who is to say you won’t make poor choices as president. Ethically, we have the right to know.”