Ethics & Standards

Ethics and Standards

In today’s fast-changing media environment, clear and trusted ethics policies are more essential — and more complex — than ever. Poynter partners with organizations to review, revise and implement ethics and standards that reflect your mission, support your staff and earn your audience’s trust.

Our process is deeply collaborative. We work with both leadership and newsroom teams to identify the gray areas that create confusion, the issues that erode culture, and the opportunities to create clarity and shared purpose. Whether you’re responding to new technologies like AI, addressing legacy challenges, or proactively shaping a newsroom-wide code of conduct, we’ll guide you with experience, empathy, and a deep understanding of journalistic integrity.

What we offer:

• Customized review and revision of ethics and standards policies
• Collaborative facilitation that includes leadership and frontline journalists
• Consultation on specific challenges — from AI and automation to sourcing, attribution and transparency
• Identification of hidden ethical friction points that impact culture and credibility
• Guidance to align editorial decision-making with organizational values
• Development of newsroom-wide training plans for rollout and adoption
• Practical support for implementation, including language, messaging and internal communication strategies
• Coaching to help teams apply ethical thinking in real-time decision-making

Let’s create policies your team can believe in.
Reach out to Aaron Sharockman at partnerships@poynter.org, or complete the form to book a free 30-minute consultation.