Journalism ethics

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The principles and standards that guide the behavior of journalists in their reporting, research, and dissemination of news and information.

Objectivity: This refers to the idea that news reporting should be impartial and free from personal biases.
Truthfulness and Accuracy: This pertains to the concept that journalists should only report truthful and accurate information, even if it may be difficult to obtain.
Fairness: This principle requires journalists to report on all sides of an issue and present multiple viewpoints without taking a side.
Privacy: The respect of people's privacy should always be taken into consideration when reporting the news.
Sensationalism: Journalists should avoid exaggeration or sensationalizing to grab attention.
Confidentiality: Journalists should protect the identity and information of their sources unless it is necessary to reveal it.
Conflicts of Interest: A journalist's personal interest should never influence how they present a story.
Editorial Independence: Journalists and news organizations should not allow outside forces to influence their editorial decisions.
Plagiarism: Journalists should not copy others' work without proper attribution or permission.
Social Responsibility: Journalists have a responsibility to society to report news that is accurate and beneficial to the public.
Investigative Journalism: This type of journalism involves in-depth research and reporting to uncover hidden information.
Press Freedom: The freedom of the press is essential to the proper functioning of a democratic society.
Diverse Representation: Journalists should strive to include diverse voices and perspectives in their reporting.
Sensitivity: Journalists should be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those they are reporting on and those affected by their reporting.
Community Engagement: Journalists should engage with their community and actively seek feedback from readers and viewers.
Objectivity: This principle calls for journalists to remain neutral and unbiased in their reporting, presenting all sides of a story and avoiding commentary or personal opinions.
Independence: Journalists should be free from outside influences, including political or financial interests, that could compromise their reporting.
Transparency: Journalists should be open about their sources, methods of reporting, and potential conflicts of interest.
Accountability: Journalists should be willing to correct mistakes or misreporting, and should acknowledge the impact of their work on the public and society.
Confidentiality: It is acceptable for journalists to protect the identity of anonymous sources, but they should also be aware of the limits of this protection and the potential consequences of their reporting.
Sensitivity: Journalists should respect the privacy and dignity of their subjects, especially vulnerable individuals or groups.
Diversity: Journalism should reflect the diversity of society, both in its reporting and in its newsroom employees.
Community engagement: Journalists should be involved in their local communities, seeking out stories and building relationships with sources and audiences.
- "Journalistic ethics and standards comprise principles of ethics and good practice applicable to journalists."
- "There are around 400 codes covering journalistic work around the world."
- "Most share common elements including the principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability."
- "Like many broader ethical systems, the ethics of journalism include the principle of 'limitation of harm'."
- "such as the names of minor children, crime victims' names, or information not materially related to the news report where the release of such information might, for example, harm someone's reputation or put them at undue risk."
- "There has also been discussion and debate within the journalism community regarding appropriate reporting of suicide and mental health, particularly with regard to verbiage."
- "some European codes, also include a concern with discriminatory references in news based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities."
- "The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approved (in 1993) Resolution 1003 on the Ethics of Journalism."
- "Resolution 1003 recommends that journalists respect the presumption of innocence, in particular in cases that are still sub judice."
- "This subset of media ethics is known as journalism's professional 'code of ethics' and the 'canons of journalism'."
- "The basic codes and canons commonly appear in statements by professional journalism associations and individual print, broadcast, and online news organizations."
- "most share common elements including the principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fact-based communications, independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability, as these apply to the gathering, editing and dissemination of newsworthy information to the public."
- "This may involve enhanced respect for vulnerable groups and the withholding of certain details from reports."
- "the names of minor children, crime victims' names, or information not materially related to the news report where the release of such information might, for example, harm someone's reputation or put them at undue risk."
- "appropriate reporting of suicide and mental health, particularly with regard to verbiage."
- "...independence, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, respect for others and public accountability."
- "discriminatory references in news based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities."
- "around 400 codes covering journalistic work around the world."
- "Resolution 1003 on the Ethics of Journalism...recommends that journalists respect the presumption of innocence."
- "journalism's professional 'code of ethics' and the 'canons of journalism'."