With academic journals, we think of the ethical aspects of the research contained in the articles rather than with the journal itself. However, journal editing has its own set of ethical concerns, which this article addresses. One is ensuring that the anonymity of institutions and participants, in research and the reporting of practice, is preserved. Another is to ensure a clear separation between "owner" of the journal and the editorial judgement, so that editorial independence is preserved. This defence of free speech is especially important when a journal, its editorial board and contributors, are variously associated with a government agency or Board of Trustees. (Contains 1 footnote.)