NPR has new ethics handbook, redefining fairness

National Public Radio has adopted a new Ethics Handbook as it takes "steps to safeguard against some of the ethical dilemmas it’s faced in the past," such as firing commentator Juan Williams for telling Bill O’Reilly that he was uncomfortable sitting next to Muslims on airplanes, writes Mallary Jean Tenore of the Poynter Institute. The 72-page handbook can be a guide for any journalist, and is a glimpse of the evolving nature of our craft at a critical time.

It gets a thumbs-up from New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen in his popular PressThink blog. NPR "commits itself to avoiding the worst excesses of 'he said, she said' journalism," Rosen writes. "It says to itself that a report characterized by false balance is a false report. It introduces a new and potentially powerful concept of fairness: being 'fair to the truth'." He cites his favorite passages and italicizes some:

In all our stories, especially matters of controversy, we strive to consider the strongest arguments we can find on all sides, seeking to deliver both nuance and clarity. Our goal is not to please those whom we report on or to produce stories that create the appearance of balance, but to seek the truth.

and….

At all times, we report for our readers and listeners, not our sources. So our primary consideration when presenting the news is that we are fair to the truth. If our sources try to mislead us or put a false spin on the information they give us, we tell our audience. If the balance of evidence in a matter of controversy weighs heavily on one side, we acknowledge it in our reports. We strive to give our audience confidence that all sides have been considered and represented fairly. (Read more)