Which describes the core structure of the Potter Box ethical framework?

• A. Budgets, deadlines, resources, and metrics.
• B. Facts, values, principles, loyalties; analyze implications; make a decision aligned with public interest and professional codes; apply before publishing.
• C. A step-by-step template for newsroom layouts.
• D. A framework focusing on audience engagement metrics.

Answer: (B)

The Potter Box organizes ethical decision making around four elements you map out for a case: facts (what happened), values (the beliefs at stake), principles (the ethical rules or codes you apply), and loyalties (to the public, to the profession, to your employer, and to yourself). You start by outlining the facts, then identify the values at play, choose the applicable principles, and consider loyalties to different stakeholders. After that, you analyze the implications of possible actions and decide on a course that serves the public interest and aligns with professional codes, then you apply that decision before publishing. This combination of four components plus a step-by-step process is precisely what the described option presents. The other choices focus on budgets, newsroom layouts, or engagement metrics, which are about workflow or measurement rather than ethical decision making.