The Press Pass
What makes a person fit or unfit for public service is a consideration for the media no less than for the public person who works under the glare of the spotlight or the threat of disclosure. Visibility cues vulnerability; exposure increases the higher one climbs in public life. Other determining factors may include public and private, youth and adult, community standards, public record, and character indicators. Although the media exercise selectivity, nothing is inherently excluded. According to the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics (1996), “Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.” Members should “recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.” The preamble states, “Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy.”
