By Dan Kubiske, SPJDC Treasurer
A new Pew Research Center study showed while most Americans say journalists are important to society, nearly half said journalists are losing influence. Part of that loss comes from people thinking too many in the news business are more focused on getting clicks, eyeballs or money from their reports.
The bottom line is that the public want journalists who adhere to a code of ethics. This survey should encourage us in the SPJ to make sure our friends and colleagues in journalism know about the SPJ Code of Ethics. Perhaps, SPJ members could sponsor a coffee-break discussion about the Code in their workplace.
There are already plans to sponsor some events by the SPJDC chapter to promote the Code of Ethics in the near future. If you have any suggestions about where and how to have those talks, we would love to hear from you at SPJchapter@gmail.com.
The latest Pew Research Center survey:
How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age (August 2025)