06/21/2026
Most writers have never read the SPJ Code of Ethics. That is not a criticism. Nobody told them it applied to them. It does. The Society of Professional Journalists built their ethics code on five pillars: Seek Truth, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, Be Accountable, and Be Transparent. These principles were written for newsrooms, but they belong in every writer's toolkit. In Post 3 of my Truth Has a Craft series, I go through each pillar and show you exactly what it means for the work you are already doing, whether you write fiction, nonfiction, how-to guides, or blog posts your readers trust. Here is the part that got my attention when I first studied this in my journalism courses: readers hold you to these standards whether you know them or not. The ones who catch your errors, notice your conflicts of interest, or feel the impact of your words on communities you wrote about, they are already applying this code to your work. Better to understand it first. Post 3 is live now. Free first half, paid subscribers get the full breakdown on all five pillars and what the SPJ Ethics revision coming later this year might mean for all of us. Read it here: https://jolenetheauthor.substack.com/p/the-five-pillars-of-ethical-journalism
The SPJ Code of Ethics is not a checklist for reporters. It is a craft standard for anyone who publishes words.
