The Journalist's Creed

*I know that a lot has happened since the last time that I published a blog, I'm sorry about that. I started a new job and have also been working on getting my publishing business up and running in my spare time, but getting into the swing of things is taking a bit longer than I planned with the new job. I like my new job, it's a good company and doing a lot of editing which is great. My plan is to publish here at least once a month but I'm hoping to write more. I will be posting a few things about things that happened within the last few months and our social and political climate going forward. 

With everything that is going on with our newly inaugurated president calling journalists and the media fake news, I think it's only right to remind people that, we journalists, actually have a creed that we take seriously. I also think that journalists need to be reminded of The journalist's Creed now more than ever and that we can not listen or pass off "alternative facts" as news and that we have to question anything that comes out of Trump's White House and hold his presidency up to scrutiny like never before. Journalists have a job to make sure that the public is getting the truth.

The Journalist's Creed 

Walter Williams, circa 1906

I believe in the profession of journalism. 

I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust. 

I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism. 

I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true. 

I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible. 

I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one's own pocketbook is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another's instructions or another's dividends. 

I believe that advertising, news, and editorial columns should alike serve that best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service. 

I believe that the journalism which succeeds best - and best deserves success-fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of for today's world. 

Journalists keep this in mind and remember the responsibility that we have to the public and to ourselves.