Common Cause Foundation · Values in the Media
A practical toolkit for journalists who want to understand how values shape their work – and make more conscious, transparent editorial choices.
of people prioritise intrinsic values like equality, community and care for nature
believe others are primarily motivated by wealth and social status – this gap has consequences
Every choice you make about what to cover, how to frame it and whose voice to centre shapes what matters to your audience. Over time, these decisions accumulate – shaping what seems normal, naive or realistic in our culture.
This toolkit is for journalists who want to better understand how values are embedded in their work, and what impact this has on their audience and the wider public.
"The important thing is that the choice is conscious and honest, not habitual and invisible."
"We just report the facts."
Values are present in every editorial choice but go unnoticed. Most UK journalism currently operates here – not because journalists are doing something wrong, but because values awareness isn't part of professional training or culture.
Read more →"We recognise journalism is value-laden."
You begin to see values everywhere in your work and you can't unsee them. You notice patterns, question defaults, and start to feel tension between your growing awareness and your existing practice.
Read more →"We name the values in our journalism."
Values awareness becomes visible and active. You are explicit about the values that shape your coverage, consistent in practice, and actively working to reflect what most people actually care about.
Read more →"UK journalism needs this work. Communities need journalism that is more transparent and responsible for the values it amplifies – and that reflects and strengthens the values that most people actually hold: belonging, equality, care for nature, creativity, freedom."Elsie Roderiques, Values in Media, Common Cause Foundation
The toolkit is free to use under a Creative Commons licence. Read each section online, or download the full 58-page PDF to use in your newsroom.
A practical toolkit · Common Cause Foundation