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EnglishWhat Is the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists?
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The Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists is a service that gives journalists a place to bring ethical questions and get guidance. You can submit a question through the website or call 866-DILEMMA (866-345-3662). It is aimed at journalists and news workers facing an ethics dilemma on the job, and the site also publishes case studies and commentary on ethics topics—for example, a piece titled "Interviewing AI," credited to Casey Bukro, which discusses artificial intelligence, technology, and weighing benefits and harms.
Who it is for
The service is built around journalists and news professionals who need advice on an ethical decision. The site's own framing—"Submit your question or phone 866-DILEMMA"—points to two audiences at once:
- Working journalists who hit a real-time dilemma and want a second opinion.
- Students and educators in journalism who want to work through ethics cases.
If your question is about how to handle a source, a conflict of interest, a privacy trade-off, or a new technology like AI, that fits the kind of material the site already discusses.
What you can do on the site
| Action | How | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Ask a question | Submit it through the website | A response to your ethics question |
| Call instead | Phone 866-DILEMMA (866-345-3662) | Direct guidance by phone |
| Read case studies | Browse the site's articles | Worked examples of ethics reasoning |
The published content is not just a FAQ. The "Interviewing AI" case study shows the site treats emerging topics seriously, tying them to categories like "Minimizing Harm" and "Weighing Benefits and Harm."
How to use it
- Identify the dilemma. Write down the specific decision you face, not just the general topic. "Should I name this source?" is more useful than "source ethics."
- Choose a channel. Submit your question online, or call 866-DILEMMA if you want to talk it through.
- Give the relevant facts. Who is affected, what you have already tried, and what deadline you are under all shape the advice.
- Expect guidance, not a verdict. An advice line helps you reason through the options; the final call is still yours and your newsroom's.
Common sticking points
- Treating it as a hotline for legal problems. The service is about ethics, not legal defense. If you need a lawyer, this is not that.
- Waiting until the story is published. Ethics advice is most useful before you act, not after.
- Assuming it is only for big outlets. The phone number and submission form are open to any journalist with a question.
What the site is not
The page evidence shows no pricing information, so do not assume the service is free or paid—that detail is not stated. What is clear is the two access points: the website submission form and the phone line 866-DILEMMA (866-345-3662). For a journalist weighing a tough call, those are the concrete ways in.