Pronouncements and Denunciations: An Analysis of State Press Association Ethics Codes from the 1920S

In light of the Associated Press Managing Editor's recent revision of its ethics code, the time seems right to examine journalism's original ethics codes, created in the 1920s, to discover what virtues and practices the codes' creators presented as industry standards. Four situational concerns - the rise of press agents, the fallout from World War I propaganda, sensationalism's resurgence, and editorial independence - contributed to a noticeable decline of the public's trust in the press. As a result, the codes consistently emphasized the watchdog ideal, public service, truthfulness, and honesty in advertising.