Visual guidelines join online, yearbook ethics

Because student media designers, photographers and illustrators also face ongoing ethical decisions, we are releasing a third set of ethical guidelines to aid your students as they play critical roles in the decision making process for your media.These guidelines, prepared by members of the Scholastic Press Rights Commission, join with our online ethics and yearbook ethics guidelines to give advisers and students support as they carry out their missions to inform and lead.

Visual journalists work closely with editors, designers, producers and reporters to make sure visuals are integrated with narrative, telling stories, not just filling space. Videos, designs, photos, informational graphics and illustrations all enhance the media experience of readers or viewers.

Information includes links to existing Codes of Ethics, studies and other education materials. Topics run the gamut from copyright and fair use to giving credit for work.

Click here to download the visual ethics guidelines.

Obtain the online ethics here and yearbook ethics here.

Additional student media ethical guidelines include NSPA’s Student Code of Ethics and JEA”s Adviser Code of Ethics.

Recent additional ethical teaching materials can be found here and here.