CJE Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CJE exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CJE Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CJE Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample CJE Questions & Answers
1. Why is media ethics important in journalism education?
Media ethics is paramount in journalism education because it instills the core values necessary for credible and responsible reporting. Students learn the principles of truthfulness, fairness, accuracy, and accountability, which are fundamental to maintaining public trust. This ethical foundation guides journalists in making sound decisions and upholding the integrity of the profession.
2. When teaching students to critique news photographs, which approach is most comprehensive and widely recommended?
Comprehensive photo critique examines visual composition alongside factual content, news context, and ethical dimensions, developing students' ability to evaluate images as both journalistic documents and visual constructions.
3. What is the appropriate response if a CJE professional witnesses a colleague violating professional standards?
Witnessing professional standards violations requires reporting through established channels and documenting observations to protect the public and maintain professional integrity.
4. How should a CJE professional handle errors in official records?
The proper method for correcting errors maintains the integrity of the original record while clearly showing the correction, who made it, and when.
5. Which of the following best describes why 'staging' is considered unethical in photojournalism?
Staging—directing subjects to re-enact events for the camera—is unethical because it fabricates a scene and deceives viewers who trust that news photographs represent reality.
6. What is the primary purpose of a nut graf in a feature story?
The nut graf tells readers why the story is significant and why they should keep reading.