This presentation distills down a semester-long journalism ethics class to 12 basics. Professor Linda Austin prepared it for her journalism ethics students at the National Management College in Yangon, Burma, in September 2015.

1. 12 THINGS TO
REMEMBER
By Robert Couse-Baker
JNL-2105: Journalism Ethics

2. 1. GOOD JOURNALISM MOVES PEOPLE
And it can move the world.
-- Joe Grimm, journalism professor, Wayne State University

3. 2. PYIRP
Put Yourself in the Readers’ Place

4. 3.NEVER
ASSUME

5. What does
ASSUME
spell?

6. ASS
U
ME By horslips5

7. USE THE ACCURACY CHECKLIST

8. 4. IF YOUR MOTHER SAYS
SHE LOVES YOU,...
ByDinJimenez

9. CHECK
IT
OUT! By Din Jim

10. 5. VERIFY
Make sure that the information a
source gives to you is true. This
may involve:
(1) observation,
(2) talking to other sources,
(3) looking at documents.

11. ASK:
HOW
DO YOU
KNOW THAT?

12. 6. YOUR
OPINIONS

13. 7. BE BALANCED AND…
Report all sides of a subject without
favoring one over another
ByvaXzine

14. …AND FAIR
Treat all people and subjects in an
equal, even-handed and reasonable
way.
ByThePizzaReview

15. 8. ATTRIBUTE
YOUR
INFORMATION

16. 9. USE CRITICAL THINKING TO
MAKE ETHICAL DECISIONS
By Renaud Ca

17. 10. SEEK TRUTH AND REPORT IT,
MINIMIZE HARM,
ACT INDEPENDENTLY,
BE ACCOUNTABLE AND
TRANSPARENT
Photo by sskennel

18. 11. YOU ARE A JOURNALIST 24/7
BySteveSnodgrass

19. 12. NEVER STOP LEARNING
Read widely, and write daily.

20. 12 THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. Good journalism moves people, and it can move the world.
2. PYIRP – Put Yourself in the Readers’ Place. Audience = #1.
3. Never assume.
4. If your mother says she loves you, check it out.
5. VERIFY using other sources, documents and observation.
Ask: How do you know that?
6. Be fair and balanced.
7. Leave out your opinions.
8. Attribute your information.
9. Use critical thinking to make ethical decisions.
10. Seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently;
and be transparent and accountable.
11. You are a journalist 24/7. Avoid the appearance of conflict.
12. Never stop learning. Read widely, and write daily.

21. WHERE TO FIND PRESENTATIONS
http://www.slideshare.net/laustinnc

22. HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH
laustin.nmc@gmail.com OR Facebook group

23. “Ce-zu
tin-ba-
deh!”