SPJ Code of Ethics
The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics is a non-binding set of principles emphasizing accuracy, independent verification, source identification, and accountability. It is one of the most widely referenced ethics frameworks in U.S. journalism.
The SPJ Code of Ethics is the ethics statement maintained by the Society of Professional Journalists, one of the most widely cited frameworks for journalistic conduct in the United States. The Code is organized around four principles: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. It is explicitly framed as a voluntary guide, not a binding rule set, and is intended to be applicable across media. On verification specifically, the Code instructs journalists to verify information before releasing it, to use original sources whenever possible, and to identify sources clearly so the public can judge their reliability and motivations. The verification language was strengthened in part to push back against the practice of repeating claims from other outlets without independent checking. Anonymous sourcing is permitted but treated as a last resort, with the Code urging journalists to question sources' motives and to confirm anonymously-sourced information through additional channels. The Code's role in journalism parallels what the verifiability policy does in Wikipedia: it formalizes the norm that claims should be traceable to identifiable evidence.