During the opening meeting of the 2011 NFPW conference, the Council Bluffs Suffrage Society marched on the meeting to gain support for the women’s right to vote and own property.

Council Bluffs Suffrage Society march on the NFPW general membership meeting.

Although audience members were surprised by the interruption, the presentation reminded members of the rights that women had to fight for and why NFPW came to exist.

The interruption came only moments after members recited the NFPW Code of Ethics, which reaffirms freedom of the press and our responsibilities as communicators.

The NFPW Code of Ethics:

“As a professional communicator, I recognize my responsibility to the public which has placed its trust and confidence in my work, and will endeavor to do nothing to abuse this obligation.

With truth as my ultimate goal, I will adhere to the highest standards of professional communication, never consciously misleading reader, viewer, or listener; and will avoid any compromise of my objectivity or fairness.

Because I believe that professional communicators must be obligated only to the people’s  right to know, I affirm that freedom of the press is to be guarded as an inalienable right of the citizens of a free society.

I pledge to use this freedom wisely and to uphold the right of communicators to express unpopular opinions as well as the right to agree with the majority.”