Green Light Ethics

Practice hard-hitting journalism with confidence.

The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership takes a practical approach to the ever-changing pressures on journalism and democracy. We are an authoritative voice for journalists, citizens and everyone interested in elevating discourse and fact-based expression while battling disinformation and bias.

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Through the work of the Center, journalism can evolve its values and the public will better understand how those values impact their everyday lives, building practices of mutual trust and transparency. We:

Provide custom advice and training to professional newsrooms on stories and policies.
Advance the ethical standards that guide professional news organizations.
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Do you want to interview one of our experts? Please email Poynter’s director of marketing Tina Dyakon for all media requests.

Neil Brown
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The Poynter Institute

Kelly McBride
Poynter Senior Vice President and
Chair of Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership

Cheryl Carpenter
Leadership Faculty
The Poynter Institute

Rick Edmonds
Media Business Analyst & Leader of News Transformation
The Poynter Institute

Shannon Kellenberger
Administrative Assistant, Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership

Samantha Ragland
Faculty Member
The Poynter Institute

Al Tompkins, Senior Faculty, Broadcast and Online

Al Tompkins
Senior Faculty and Group Leader for Broadcast Media
The Poynter Institute

Doris Truong
Director of Training and Diversity
The Poynter Institute

Ethics articles:

Radio host Pat McAfee in 2019. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

Pat McAfee keeps giving Aaron Rodgers a megaphone to amplify his misleading messages

McAfee isn't exactly a '60 Minutes' correspondent, but he has an obligation to push back a little if Rodgers keeps talking nonsense.

Carroll Hall, home of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Jan. 21, 2020. (Photo by: Mihaly I. Lukacs, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

After the Nikole Hannah-Jones blowup, UNC’s journalism school is healing, but slowly

Four months later, the main players in the drama are taking measured steps to move on.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Journalists should directly address Aaron Rodgers’ concerns over COVID-19 vaccines and fertility

It is a disservice to news audiences to allow Rodgers to raise such concerns and not dig into what the research says.

Don’t read the comments? For news sites, it might be worth the effort.

News website comment sections can be toxic and hostile. But is their absence even worse?

Ad Fontes' media bias chart, left, and AllSides' media bias chart, right. Larger versions are available to view below and on each organization's website.

Should you trust media bias charts?

These controversial charts claim to show the political lean and credibility of news organizations. Here’s what you need to know about them.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during his Save America rally in Perry, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

Why would The Wall Street Journal run these false claims from Trump?

Newspapers have a long tradition of allowing readers to express their views. But this is incredibly and surprisingly irresponsible.

When reporting on disability, advice about language is simple: just ask

The National Center on Disability and Journalism has updated its style guide to move away from a ‘default’ and focus on identify-first language.

The news industry needs to do more to make women feel supported, believed and safe

There are many things we can do. Here’s a start.

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In addition to our work through the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, Poynter trains journalists to be strong practitioners and supports newsroom transformation and accountability journalism. We are the home of three major initiatives that are battling misinformation: PolitiFact, the International Fact-Checking Network and the news literacy program for teenagers and first-time voters, MediaWise. There are many ways that you can contribute to this important work:

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The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at Poynter was made possible by a generous grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.