Ethical Leadership in Newsrooms Curriculum

Journalism schools have long taught classes in ethics, with a focus on how journalists produce news. However, the School
of Journalism and Media at University of Texas at Austin has joined forces with another Moody College department
and The Center for Ethical Leadership in Media to debut a new kind of ethics course – one that addresses ethical behaviors in newsrooms. 

The open-source curriculum is designed to help young journalists understand current challenges and opportunities
in leading and managing news organizations. The curriculum includes modules on personal, interpersonal and group
skills. With original case studies and supporting research, topics include “an introduction to ethical leadership,” “creating safe and fair newsrooms,” “giving voice to values,” “shaping organizational culture,” “working in teams,” and “gaining self-awareness.”

The national curriculum was announced on Feb. 21 at a workshop convening news and academic leaders at UTNY in Manhattan. The major rollout and dissemination of the curriculum will begin during the 2021-2022 academic year.