Abstract: The period ofBeiyang Government (1912-1928) was a great turmoil but a significant age in Chinese society.During this period,the journalism,especially the private newspaper,flourished as never before,and journalists of private newspaper were exceptionally active in thought.This laid the material and ideological foundation for their exploration into journalistic ethics and contributed to the basic formation of modern Chinese journalistic ethics.The journalistic ethics of private newspaper practitioners during this period mainly included three aspects.Firstly,excellent moral character was the primary qualification for a journalist;secondly,journalists must undertake the core value of independence and self-respect;and thirdly,journalists should take objectivity and fairness as their working principle.The three thoughts provided the basic moral guidelines for Chinese journalists and promoted the professional development of Chinese journalism.

Key words: the period ofBeiyang Government (1912-1928), private newspaper, journalistic ethics