Journalists and Lawyers

There are good lawyers & bad lawyers. But we still know they follow the law. The power is in the
institutions and systems that make them.

Journalists should be the same. The more I think about this, the more I like it.

  • Lawyers have a “bar” organization that oversee’s the overarching ethics of behaviour
  • Judges are external arbiters. Should an editor be the same?
  • There is an open system of archives.
  • Lawyers need to pass additional standards
  • Not being a lawyer doesn’t preclude you from participating, but you’re still not a “lawyer”
  • Law firms are legally set up in a specific way and can’t be set up otherwise
  • Lawyers buy into ownership/partnership, and therefore have several fiduciary duties to balance

Have any more points to add?