Society of Professional Journalists drafts AI-aware update to its century-old ethics code

For the first time since 2014, the Society of Professional Journalists is revising its voluntary ethics code, a process that took roughly a year of virtual and in-person meetings. Editors Dan Axelrod and Chris Roberts led a weekend conclave in Indianapolis, where heated discussions produced a 967-word draft, 73 words longer than the current version. The revision keeps the four historic tenets—truth-seeking, harm reduction, independence, and accountability—while inserting language about the responsibilities of journalists using new technologies, especially generative AI, and extending guidance to independent “creator” journalists.

The committee highlighted the erosion of public trust, the rise of freelance work (one-third of journalists were self-employed in 2023, per Pew), and the influence of non-journalistic owners on newsrooms. The draft, which avoids naming AI directly to stay future-proof, also tackles verification, misinformation, and marginalised voices. SPJ members will review the proposal during a feedback period, with a final vote slated for October.