Honesty and Ethics

Looking up

Thank God for members of Congress and car salesmen.

They make journalists look honest and ethical.

At least that’s according to a USATODAY/Gallup Poll measuring honesty and ethics among 23 occupations.

Who do you suppose came out highest? Medical doctors? Clergy?

Nope.

Nurses. Eighty-four percent of those polled rated them high or very high, the second highest total since the poll started in 1976. Firemen scored 90 percent in the months after the 9/11 terror attacks.

I am actually heartened by the findings, which put journalists behind nurses, doctors, veterinarians, engineers, clergy and police officers, among others. That’s because our numbers of high or very high ratings have actually climbed from 24 percent in 1999 to 26 percent in 2006, during a period when there has been a lot of whining about ethics in the media.   

So where does this leave us in the scheme of things?

Just behind chiropractors, but ahead of governors, business executives, lawyers, stockbrokers, senators, members of congress, insurance salespersons, HMO managers, advertising practitioners and car sales persons, in that order.

I can’t wait to tell my kid about this. He’s a lawyer.

 

Comments

[Lonn]

Well, at least thank God for car salesmen.

signed – advertising practitioner.