Codes of Conduct include the rules or instructions to practising journalism, which concerns the morality of journalism rather than punisable laws. It is our moral obligation as journalists to abide by these rules when repoting stories.
The NUJ or National Union of Journalists – founded in 1907 – aims to promote freedom in media at a professional level and to ensure ethical standards are kept high. Joinging the NUJ, you recieve a press card which gives you certain privilileges that are helpful to you as a journalist. The NUJ’s code of conduct includes the principles that UK and Irish journalists should follow:-
A journalist:
(1) Always upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of freedom of expression and the right of the public to be informed.
(2) Ensures that information published is honestly conveyed, accurate and unbiased.
(3) Strives adamantly to correct harmful inaccuracies.
(4) Differentiates between fact and opinion
(5) Obtains information by honest means – with the exception of investigations that are both in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means.
(6) Does not intrude the private life of a person unless justified by the public interest defence.
(7) Protects the identity of sources who supply information in confidence and material gathered in the course of his/her work.
(8) Does not threat or use any other means of influence to distort or suppress information and does not take advantage of information gained in the course of his/her duties before the information is public knowledge.
(9) Produces no information for the sole purpose to hate or discriminate on the grounds of a person’s age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation – No malice!!!!!
(10) Does not endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service except for the promotion of his/her own work or of the company/business/ institution etc by which she/he is employed.
(11) Should normally seek the consent of parent/guardian/appropriate adult when interviewing or photographing a child for a story about his/her welfare.
(12) Does not plagiarise.
The PCC or Press Complaints Comission, has produced the Editors’ Code of Practice which like the NUJ’s codes of conduct is a list of rules and guidelines that journalist should follow. The PCC Editor’s Code of Practice includes:-
1. Accuracy
Opportunity to reply – a fair opportunity for a reply to inaccuracies must be given when reasonably called for.
Privacy – everyone is entitled to respect for his/her private and family life, home, health and correspondence including digital communications. Intrusions must be justifiable. Photographs of people in their private places must not be taken without consent.
Harassment – journalists must never engage in intimidation or persistent pursuit.
Intrusion into grief or shock – in cases involving grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled with sensitivity. In reporting a suicide care must be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used.
Children – a minor (child under 16) must never be interviewed or photographed on issues involving their own or another minor’s welfare unless a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult consents. Minors must not be paid for material involving children’s welfare, nor parents or guardians for material about their children or wards, unless it is clearly in the child’s interest. Editors must not use the fame or position of the parent or guardian as sole justification for publishing details of a child’s private life.
Children in sex cases – the press must not identify children under the age of 16 who are victims or witnesses in cases involving sex offences. The word “incest” must not be used where a child victim might be identified. Care must be taken not to imply the relationship between child and the accused.
Hospitals – Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue inquiries.
Reporting of Crime – relatives or friends of convicted or accused persons should not generally be identified without their consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story. Particular regard should be paid to the potentially vulnerable position of children who witness or are victims of crime.
Clandestine devices and subterfuge – the press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents or photographs’ or by accessing digitally-held private information without consent. Subterfuge means any hidden schemes or similarly. *Subterfuge – only justified in terms of the public interest
Victims of sexual assault – victims of sexual assault must not be identified, jigsaw identification is not permitted unless there is adequate justification.
Discrimination – the press must avoid prejudicial reference to an individual’s race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability, must be avoided unless genuinely relevant to the story.
Financial Journalism – journalists must not use for their own profit financial information they received or leaked to them from business contacts or likewise. Journalists should not del in shares or securities about which they have recently written or intended to write as what they publish might affect market prices (it is unethical to take advance of this power)
Confidential sources – moral obligation to protect confidential sources or information.
Witness payments in criminal trials – No payment or offer of payment to a witness or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness should be made in any case once proceedings are active. Contempt of Court.
Payment to criminals - payments or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a particular crime or to glorify or glamorise crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their associates – including family, friends and colleagues.
Lastly, the Ofcom Broadcasting code – which took effect in March of 2013 – regualtes all broadcasted programmes. The regualtions include:-
Material broadcasted on television must be suitable for children under the age of fifteen before 21:00 or after 05:30. As for material broadcasted on the radio, the times children arelikely to be listening should be taken into consideration and suitable material should be broadcasted during those times. Unsuitable material includes: violent and dangerous behaviour, the use of drugs, alcohol, smoking and solvents, offensive language, sexual material and nudity.
Television and radio outlets must not broadcast any material that glorifies or glamorises violent or dangerous behaviour and suicide; there must be a clear warning/ indication if demonstrations of exorcism, the occult and paranormal activity – whether real or for entertainment purposes – are going to be broadcasted; when broadcasting material that is hypnotic broadcasters must take care to ensure that the viewers or listeners are not affected by techniques and must take care to maintain low level of risk to viewers who have photosensitive epilepsy; any/all broadcast competitions or voting must be conducted fairly and the rules of the competition/voting must be made clear to listeners and viewers.
Any material that is likely to encourage crime or lead to the riots or disorder must not be broadcasted; no demonstrations of criminal techniques must be broadcasted unless editorally justified; no payment or any form of bribery to any convicted criminals is permitted, whether directly or indirectly; when the case is active concerning criminal proceedings, no payments of any kind is permitted to any individual involved in the trial.
Material broadcasted must not be prejudice to or must not exploit any particular religion or religious group.
News reported must be broadcasted in accuracy and wthout any prejudical preferences or impartiality; individuals involved in “matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy” must not be misrepresented in his/her views, theories and opinions and undue prominence must not be given; undue prominence is great imbalance in views published or aired concerning matters of political or industrial controversy and mattes relating to current public policy.
Material that includes infringement of privacy, must be warranted before it is broadcasted.
Editorial content must be kept separate from advertising; references to a product, service or trade mark withing a programme is not permitted – surreptitious advertising;
Any programme in violation of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code will not be able to air.
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