Rules of Journalism

1. Journalism's first obligation is to the truth.

• What does this mean to you?
• How will you find the truth when you work on your story?
• If you can't find the truth, how can you still write your story?

2. Its first loyalty is to citizens.

• What does this mean to you?
• How can you be loyal to students, teachers and staff as you tell your story?
• If you can't be loyal, how can you still write your story?

3. Its essence is a discipline of verification.

• What does this mean to you?
• How will you verify facts in your story?
• If you can't find out if everything is true, do you still tell your story?
  

4. Journalists must maintain an independence from their stories.

• What does this mean to you?
• How will you remain independent in your story? (Do you take sides?)
• If you can't find every side to the story, how can you still tell your story?

5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power.

• What does this mean to you?

6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.

• What does this mean to you?
• Will people criticize your story?
• How will you deal with people who criticize your story in a respectful way?

7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.

• What does this mean to you?
• How will you make your story interesting and relevant?
• If your story is not interesting and relevant, do you still tell it?
  

8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.

• What does this mean to you?
• How can you be short and to the point, but also tell everything you need to tell?
• What if your story is too long? Too short?
  

9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

• What does this mean to you?
• If there is a story, but you know you should not contribute to gossip and rumors, do you still tell the story?