Ethics. There is perhaps nothing more subjective than one's interpretation of ethical conduct. This is to be expected; a universally accepted code of conduct does not exist (if it did, society would be considerably more peaceful). Yet, many professions stand by such declarations of ethics. I wonder whether such articles, such codes of conduct are as much a PR ploy as they are idealistically irrational creations. This is perhaps the reason behind the creation of the Journalists' Code of Ethics, a subjective list of guidelines that Journalists are supposed to follow. Of course, it should be no surprise that these guidelines aren't always followed, or, at the very least, are cause for controversy as a result of conflicting interpretations of said guidelines.
Such a perspective is, quite clearly, cynical (but I believe realistic). Don't get me started on the oxymoron of the concept of a code of "ethics" for lawyers.
