BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES FOR JOURNALISM
First Testament teaching is quite clear: honesty and transparency in reportage is essential. No group, no elites, no persons in power, no newsroom should control what a populace hears.
“ALL THINGS CONSIDERED” Deut 19:15-18; Prov 18:17
Every side of an issue should be fairly represented. Objectivity and accuracy is paramount. Accusations against individuals should not be ascribed to “unnamed sources.” Witness and accused must confront each other. 
THE CAMERA DOESN’T LIE? Gen 3:9-13; Ex 20:16; Prov 19:4-6
Cropping a picture and framing a headline do the same thing–highlight the point of view of a journalist. Here are some questions to ask:
Who was behind the story? Where was the story placed? How much time or attention did it receive? Who benefited and who was damaged by the story? Perspective and prominence sway viewers and readers. Instead of making someone look good, the journalist should give everyone a good look.
STATISTICS Leviticus 19:35, 36; Proverbs 11:1; 16:11; Amos 8:4-6
Surveys can be written to get the kind of response one desires. Statistics can be skewed to influence a certain choice. In this way, public opinion polls can be used to dictate national policy. Scripture mandates truthfulness in numbers and measurement. Journalists have the power and responsibility to communicate carefully in an age of statistical morality. 
HEADLINES Deut 19:18-21; Proverbs 10:21; 12:17-19: 16:30
Always the first and often the only reading some accomplish is the bold print introducing an article. Words must be chosen carefully in every context, especially in places where conceptions are shaped. [BTW, *this* picture should never be forgotten: the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, China.]
EDITORIAL POLICY Proverbs 2:3, 4; 6:16-19; 10:14; 15:1, 23, 28; 16:27,28; 18:13, 17; 24:12, 24-26; 25:15; 26:23-28; 29:19
Any newspaper should be constantly cognizant of and willing to apply the following principles of “word power”: integrity, honesty, painstaking accuracy, understanding the potential good and harm, guarded, substantiated, and opinion based on fact. Though there may be limited impact on direct action, words can be the compelling means by which to encourage righteousness in the populace.
These principles first appeared in classes I taught in the 1990’s, later in an unpublished booklet entitled Understanding the World through The Word (1996).