In the face of a communications crisis caused by political spin, corporate domination of the world wide web and online abuse, the Ethical Journalism Network believes that models of ethical journalism can act as an inspiration for public policy aiming to improve public communications, particularly online.

Since October 2015 we have been using this principle to promote co-operation with universities and journalism training schools and to open up a new debate about the need for responsible public communications.

Ethical Journalism for Free Expression

Media literacy is a key issue for the Ethical Journalism Network. We argue strongly for ethical journalism to become a core element in building a new movement towards more responsible public communications.

In 2016 the EJN also placed the ethics of journalism at the heart of discussions on media literacy at the European Union media literacy conference on combating extremism and propaganda in Riga, the European Commission Media Literacy Expert Group in Brussels and at Unesco’s World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Helsinki.

The EJN is a member of the European Union Media Literacy Expert Panel and a strong supporter of UNESCO’s global media literacy leadership. In 2016 the EJN submitted a working paper for the World Media Literacy Congress in Brazil examining how journalism, despite the difficulties it is currently facing, can give added value to work to promote more responsible communications. The paper concludes that there is a need for fresh thinking on how to prepare a detailed road map for balancing information rights, press freedom, and human rights, and particularly for a new ethic of information that provides a positive narrative about how media, and ethical journalism, in particular, can serve as a public good.

Read the EJN report on media literacy

BROWSE THE REPORT

Support the work of the Ethical Journalism Network

If you share our mission, please consider donating to the Ethical Journalism Network. Your financial contribution will help the EJN to support journalists around the world who are striving to uphold ethical practices in order to build public trust in good journalism.

SUPPORT US NOW