AdviceLine offers journalists free professional advice on ethical questions

The Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists is a free, on-demand service offered to any journalist facing an ethical dilemma and in need of professional advice — even on a tight deadline.

If you’re in doubt about an ethics decision, contact the Ethics AdviceLine online or call 866-DILEMMA (866-345-3662). A team of specialists trained in ethics at Loyola University will take your call.

The service is open to all professional journalists, whether they’re members of the Chicago Headline Club or not. Almost 1,000 journalists have called AdviceLine for guidance on ethics since it was founded in 2001.

Ethics expert David Ozar, one of the call-takers on the other end of the AdviceLine, says even though journalists confront ethics dilemmas every day, the correct course of action is not always clear.

“Our goal is not to offer easy answers to tough ethics issues, but to guide journalists to a decision based on sound ethical journalism,” Ozar said.

Especially in these dark days of monumental change and uncertainty, maintaining credibility and professionalism is vital no matter the form of journalism. If you’re facing an ethical question and don’t know how to move forward, don’t hesitate to call.

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