Ethics of Journalism

The late Jim Lehrer was PBS NewsHour's co-founder, a giant in journalism known for his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news.

For Jim, being a journalist was never a self-centered endeavor. He always told those who worked with him: “It’s not about us.”

Night after night, Jim led by example that being yourself — journalist, writer, family man, citizen — can be a high calling.

The nine tenets that governed his philosophy included the assumption that “the viewer is as smart and caring and good a person as I am,” that “there is at least one other side or version to every story,” and that separating “opinion and analysis from straight news stories” must be done clearly and carefully.