“Coming together regardless of the size of your business shows that there’s a genuine need across society for ethics in journalism” – Paul Hutchinson, Bedford Independent
Previous research carried out by Impress has shown that the public has low levels of trust in news and do not have faith in journalists. Yet there remain very few opportunities for journalists to learn more about ethical practice.
On June 24, 2025, Impress brought together more than 30 journalists to launch a pilot of Creating Ethical Media And Journalism, thanks to the support of Microsoft, the University of Huddersfield, and Innovate UK.
It marked a landmark moment in the development of the course, set to be released in the Autumn.
Representatives from Impress-regulated publishers joined us at Microsoft’s offices in London for an introduction to the program, to hear from panels on the use of AI in journalism, and to hear more about how Microsoft Copilot may be able to assist them in their work.
A huge factor in the public’s lack of trust is that much of the news does not adhere to ethical practices. The public wants news delivered by journalists to be ethical, open, accurate, fair, unbiased, and reflect the needs of the community.
Being an ethical journalist in the modern world can be tough, with financial pressures often swaying journalists to prioritise speed over accuracy or ethics, even if it is a decision they feel uncomfortable with.
Yet there is a distinct lack of training opportunities or support networks with ethics at their heart. Nearly 70% of attendees said they had never received any sort of ethics training in journalism.
We know that there is a hunger from journalists themselves for training that pivots and adapts to an industry that is increasingly unpredictable and constantly evolving, that caters to flexible working patterns, and that has a greater focus on ethical practices.
We want to change that.
The Day's Events
Through a series of workshops led by Impress and Microsoft staff, attendees were encouraged to share and discuss their experience of dealing with ethical dilemmas, with many admitting that they were often left concerned about what the correct course of action would be.
We also hosted two panels, discussing ethical practise in journalism and the use of AI in the industry. Our panellists were Veronica Gordon (founder of OurVersion Media), Matthew Eltringham (BBC senior advisor on editorial policy), Paul Hutchinson (Editor of Bedford Independent), Tchiyiwe Tchihana (managing director of African Voices Platform), Krishna Sood (assistant general council for Microsoft Copilot) and Eliz Mizon (communications manager of Arena for Journalism In Europe).
Everyone in attendance showed such great enthusiasm for the course and the exercises utilised on the day. As a result, we heard a number of fascinating discussions and valuable insights into how journalists think about ethics, the processes they have in place for tackling dilemmas and much more!
What Did Attendees Think?
Through our pre- and post-event surveys, we found that this day alone helped to boost participants’ confidence in journalistic ethics by nearly 20%.
It once again emphasised the importance of journalism ethics training being readily available, as well as journalists discussing these issues amongst themselves.
“Times are changing. We really need to start thinking forward and courses like this are useful because they’re embarking on a new venture in the journalism industry.”
– Emily Bunder, Ealing News
“Ethics very much underpins what it means to be a responsible modern journalist. Just in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve already challenged my own prejudices about some of the things I may write myself.”
– Paul Hutchinson, Editor, Bedford Independent
“I’ve been really interested in hearing other people’s ideas and experiences and how they approach things, and the challenges that they face.”
– Lee Morgan, Editor, People’s Republic of South Devon
“With independent media here in the UK, we’re a pretty small community. But we’re a feisty community and I think it’s really nice to actually see people in person.”
– Maxine Betteridge-Moes, Digital Editor, New Internationalist
Attendees were given a run-through of how AI can impact journalism – both in terms of increasing productivity but also the limitations of the technology.
After the event, 88% of attendees said they felt better equipped to us AI in their work moving forward, while 85% said they were more likely to use it in their work as well. Although nearly half would like to learn more about the technology before doing so.
What Did We Learn?
We always value the chance to meet with and explore journalistic ethics with our members, as a way to learn and collaborate. This event was no different.
It was clear from discussions in the room that there is a strong need for training that covers journalistic ethics. While nearly everyone in attendance prioritised ethical practice, many lacked frameworks or procedures in place to address challenges that arose.
Representatives from Microsoft’s Copilot programme walked attendees through the technology, explaining the tools that could help them as well as the software’s limitations. Most attendees had never used AI before. After the event, they told us that they are now more likely to use AI but need to learn more about the technology first.
Throughout Creating Ethical Media and Journalism, participants will produce an ethical framework that they can apply to their daily work. In the course, they will also learn more about using Artificial Intelligence responsibly, what AI can and cannot be relied on for, as well as the need to always include human editorial oversight.
Impress’ training provides a valuable opportunity for journalists to achieve a recognised accreditation upon completion of the course. This will not only increase competitive advantage in the industry but improve financial security through job prospects.
What next?
Attendees have now been given two months to complete the remainder of the trial course before feeding back to Impress. We can’t wait to hear about their experiences of the course!
Now, the planning starts for an exciting launch event that will see the course made public!
Improving ethics in journalism is not something one organisation can do alone. If you would like to follow Microsoft’s example and partner with us on a future project or event, please get in touch with our development director Gia Thom on gia@impressorg.com.
You can also sign up to our waitlist to be considered for future event attendance via the button below!.
Thank you to our publications who attended!
About Impress
Impress is a champion for news that can be trusted. We are here to make sure news providers can publish with integrity; and the public can engage in an ever-changing media landscape with confidence. We set the highest regulatory standards for news, offer education to help people make informed choices and provide resolution when disputes arise.
Media enquiries
Louie Chandler: louie@impressorg.com / 02033076778
