Our Mission
The Ethics & Journalism Initiative at New York University works to produce stronger, more sure-footed journalists who are prepared to tackle the many complex ethical challenges facing journalists today and in the future. Through mentoring, workshops, training materials, public events and collaborations with newsrooms and other academic institutions, EJI aims to ensure that every journalist we reach learns to meet such challenges with skill, humanity, and intelligence. By advancing ethical practices in the profession, the Initiative works to foster the trustworthy journalism that is vital to the preservation of truth telling and democracy.
Primary Areas of Focus
Topics to be explored by the initiative include the ethical dimensions of covering elections in a time of polarization and disinformation; using and managing artificial intelligence and other technology innovations; covering diverse communities with insight and integrity; and teaching and promoting ethics in everyday coverage.
Programming Summary
The Ethics and Journalism Initiative provides one-to-one ethical guidance, as well as workshops, discussions among leading thinkers and practitioners, applied research, and an online presence featuring articles, reports, and ethics guides.
Statement of Journalistic Values
1. Honest fact-finding, regardless of where the facts lead.
2. Skepticism without cynicism.
3. A commitment to challenging false statements and narratives, wherever they arise.
4. A conviction that journalists play a vital role in democracy by holding governments and other powerful institutions to account.
5. A commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the practice of journalism.