Summary

The NUJ's code of conduct "has set out the main principles of UK and Irish journalism since 1936. The code is part of the rules of our union" (NUJ, 2011). The document itself is a short set of 12 rules that emphasizes press freedom, accuracy, and public interest. It states explicitly that journalists should produce "no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation."
Interestingly, the original (1936) code is based on what actions the Union will defend. "Through years of courageous struggle for better wages and working conditions its pioneers and their successors have kept these aims in mind, and have made provision in union rules not only for penalties on offenders, but for the guidance and financial support of members who may suffer loss of work for conforming to union principles" (NUJ, 1936). There are, asserts the Code, two claims on the loyalty of the journalist: "one by his union and one by his employer."
Metcalf (2014:12) comments, "No other ethics code makes such (a) strong link between professional identity and moral character, where to be a member of the profession requires commitment to certain virtues (as opposed to commitment to ethical acts)."

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