As Hurricane Florence makes landfall in North Carolina, reporters who are covering the storm can expect to contend not only with the weather, but also an onslaught of mis- and disinformation.

A common criticism aimed at journalists is their tendency to portray some groups in the United States as “the other” — framing stories as though certain groups aren’t part of the world where journalists themselves and the bulk of their audiences live. Think rural America.

Journalists have both rights and responsibilities. A good place to learn what these are is the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. The society’s code is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior.