Journalists Code of Ethics

Journalists Code of Ethics 1. I sh either scrupulously underwrite and interpret the watchword, taking fretfulness non to suppress essential f turns nor to intertwine the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I grapple the duty to air the early(a) side and the duty to correct substantive errors speedily. 1. I shall non violate confidential data on physical given me in the go of my calling. 1. I shall resort just now to plum and honest methods in my effort to obtain word of honor, exposuregraphs and/or documents, and shall properly expose myself as a representative of the press when obtaining whatsoever individualised discourse intended for return. . I shall refrain from theme reports which will adversely tint a private reputation unless the public interests soundifies it. At the same judgment of conviction, I shall write vigorously for public access to information, as provided for in the constitution. 3. I shall not let personal motives or interests influenc e me in the mathematical operation of my duties nor shall I abide or offer all present, gift or early(a) consideration of a nature which whitethorn cast inquiry on my professional justness. 4. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism. . I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, spectral belief, semi governmental conviction, cultural and ethnic origin. 6. I shall presume persons acc implementd of criminal offence of being innocent until proven early(a)wise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors, and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society. 7. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist. 8.I shall accept only such(prenominal) tasks as are compatible with the integrity and self-regard of my profession, invoking the conscience clause when duties chew the fatd on me contrast with the voice of my conscience. 9. I shall comport myself in public or while performing my duties as journalist in such manner as to maintain the arrogance of my profession. When in doubt, decency should be my watchword. Approved by the Philippines Press Institute and the matter Press Club in 1988. code of ethics Code of passkey and Ethical Conduct I. Covering elections A. Pay your way. 1.The news composing moldiness(prenominal) queer the cost of reportage during the election campaign and count, including dining out sources for stories, the airfare, hotel accommodation, per diem and trading operations expenses of lag ingredients assigned to political parties and candidates. This prohibition excludes transport services and reciprocal rooming accommodations arranged by the political parties for all members of the media. 2. Staff members shall clear with their superintend editors invitations from the candidates or political parties to critical point out-of-t cause or overseas coverage events, so the theme may appropriate the neces sary bud detect, if these are newsworthy events.B. Do not accept cash or gifts in good-natured from politicians and political parties. 1. All editors, reporters, photographers, columnists, artists and other lag members must resist all attempts of candidates or political parties to bribe the report in cash or in motley. Newspapers are encouraged to expose such attempts, whether consummated or aborted, to identify the culpable parties and to promptly return the bribe or gift it to charity with the appropriate documentation. C. Do not moonlight with political parties. 1. No mental faculty member shall be allowed to work on a part- judgment of conviction, regular or contractual basis with any political party or candidate. . Staff members shall be discouraged from inviting candidates to stand as godparents in baptisms, weddings and other church rites, or as padrinos in the employment of relatives or friends. D. watch out of surveys. Statistical data derived from polling and surv eying is oddly susceptible to misunderstanding, misinterpretation and misuse. Newspapers should all the way distinguish between scientific polls and non-scientific surveys such as readers call-ins or write-ins and person-in-the-street interviews that are reported in statistical terms.This must be through with(p) in a way that is likely to be understood by the average reader, including the headlines and artistic creation. * In using scientific polls, the sample size and the moulding of error should be disclosed. * In using non-scientific surveys, the manner in which they were interpreted and their limitations should be clearly explained in print. Merely labeling a survey as non-scientific is not sufficient. * Surveys that do not meet minimal scientific standards of severeness and reli cogency should not be identified as polls, nor should they be portrayed in language suitable to scientific polls. Great caution should be used in employing non-scientific polls to address substan tial questions of public policy or to describe the popularity or approval rating of public officials or public actions. II. Conflicts of interest Individual journalists (publishers, editors, desk persons, reporters, photographers, artists, columnists) must weigh their obligations a plusst the impact of * occasion in particular activities * Affiliation with causes or organizations * Acceptance of favors or discriminatory treatment * Financial investments * Outside employment Friendships In the end, individual journalists top executive do well to ask themselves * Am I being sepa roam? * Could my action harm my integrity or my organizations integrity? * Is the mere bearing of affair enough to diminish my believability? Am I impulsive to publicly disclose any strength conflicts? A. Be careful with lower-ranking jobs you take. 1. Outside work, secondary jobs or moonlighting presents per se a effectiveness conflict of interest, especially with individuals, firms or entities * that are the subject of news, past or future day that are competitors of the majorry source of income of the journalist (another broadsheet or powder store circulating in the same market) * that requires the journalist to render more than just editorial services (writing, editing, art design), additional services that would via media the integrity of his/her profession and news agency (pushing press releases, organizing press conferences, acting as press agent, etc. ) 1. Individual journalists who do outside work or acquire secondary jobs must properly inform their straightaway superiors. A secondary job is one which gives the journalist income less than what he/she gets from his/her newspaper. ) 2. lord work as stringers or free-lance writers for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, news services, photo agencies and similar organizations headquartered outside their circulation area is usually acceptable. So is part-time teaching in local colleges and other professional or para-newspaper duties. All arrangements of this kind are discussed in advance with management. 3.Journalists must avoid paid or unpaid work for a politician or political organization, and should not hold public office or accept appointment to any political position for which there is remuneration other than expenses. B. Dont use your paper/job to take in money. Draw the line between journalism and your own money ventures. 1. Financial investment by staff members or other outside backing interests that could conflict with the newspapers ability to report the news or that would create the impression of such a conflict should be avoided. . A staff member may not enter into a melody relationship with a news source. A staff member may not make investments which could come into conflict with the staff members duties. A staff member with investments or stockholdings in corporations should avoid making news decisions that involve those corporations. 3. Similarly, staff members employment by news sources or potential news sources should be avoided, and staffers should refrain from lending their names to commercial enterprises with no promotional value to their papers.Business interests that could conflict with a staff members ability to report the news, or that would create the impression of such a conflict, must be avoided. C. You are entitled to advocate causes and join organizations but dont impose this on your readers. Disclose your advocacies and organizational betrothals. 1. Staff members should avoid any participation in any activity which could compromise, or appear to compromise, the staff members parting or the newspapers capacity, ability or disposition to gather, report, write or edit, faithfully, factually, impartially or fairly.Such activity must be cleared in advance with the editor(s) whenever any possibility of interference or conflict exists. 2. Journalists exercise discretion in all relationships with causes and organizations. Staff members are encouraged to join and to perform voluntary services for local religious, cultural, social and civic organizations. Newspapers wealthy person the same community responsibility as other businesses in donating editors and employees time to civic undertakings. Staff members should let supervisors know what groups theyre involved with. 3.Journalists should avoid political involvement beyond voting. In no circumstances may a staff member try on political office or work, for chip in as a volunteer, in a political campaign or organization. D. Dont misuse and abuse your privileges as a journalist. 1. Journalists must take care not to use newspaper property, i. e. its name, its stationery, or press card, for personal gain or advantage. However, we recognize that our involvement as citizens may sometimes compromise or inhibit our professional responsibilities, and we judge each situation with that in mind.We are particularly conscious of the necessity to avoid personal involvement in eith er side of an issue slightly which we would be writing or editing stories for the newspaper. 1. Unpublished information gathered by the newspaper may not be used by staff members for investment decisions. Staff members should try to ensure the confidentiality of information gathered by the newspaper by making every effort to keep such information from reaching anyone who might attempt to use it for personal gain forwards it is published.Staff members should be careful in dealings with news sources-particularly those in the investment community-not to disclose before publication the nature of the boloney that has the potential to affect the price of any stock. And because the timing of an investment is often crucial, no one outside the newspaper should know in advance the publication date of a story. When there is doubt about the appropriateness of a business investment, or about any possible conflict of interest, the staff member should discuss the situation with the supervising editor. . No staff member should write about, report on, photograph or make a news judgment about any individual related to him or her by blood or marriage or with whom the staff member has a close personal relationship. Writing or editing a story about a friends business, for example, presents a conflict and should be avoided. A staff member who finds himself or herself in a situation where a conflict of interest (or the perception of such) becomes likely should consult with the supervising editor about the circumstances. 1.Employees shall not use their positions with the newspaper to get any benefit or advantage in commercial transactions or personal business for themselves, their families or acquaintances. For example, they shall not use company connections * To get information or a photograph for purposes other than those of the newspaper. * To expedite personal business with, or seek special consideration from, public officials or agencies, such as the police. * To seek for per sonal use information not available to the general public. To get free or at a reduced rate not available to the public, things like tickets, memberships, hotel rooms or transportation. 1. Employees shall not use the company name, reputation, phone number or stationery to imply a threat or retaliation or pressure, to curry favor, or to seek personal gain. III. Writing the story 1. All efforts must be exerted to make stories fair, accurate and balanced. Getting the other side is a must, especially for the virtually sensitive and critical stories. The other side must run on the first take of the story and not any day later. . Single-source stories must be avoided as a rule. There is always the imperative to get a second, third or more sources, the contending parties to an issue, the expert source, the affected party, the boastful and the obscure, in the story. We must strive at all times to go steady the truth of our sources assertions. 3. Documents are demand, particularly for st ories alleging corruption or wrongdoing by public officials or agencies, or private individuals and corporations and groups. 4.As a rule, nameless sources shall be discouraged, especially if they are coming from the public sector or publicly accountable agencies. But when we have to shield the identity of our source. -because disclosure it would put his/her job or life in danger-we must low ascertain the truth of his/her assertions Determine if he/she is not a polluted source or an interested or beneficial party force him/her in a manner that would establish his/her expertise or pay off to speak on the subject. 5.We shall avoid at all times language, photographs, visuals and graphics that are racist, sexist, insensitive and disrespectful of men, women and children the religious denominations, cultural communities, and gender and political preferences. 6. The identities and photographs of children and women who figure in the news as victims of internal abuse (i. e. rape, inces t, sexual harassment, prostitution, battering, etc. ) must not be printed, and details about their personal circumstances and identities must be withheld.In the case of incest victims, the identities of the accused and immediate family members must also be protected. Disclosure of the identities of victims of sexual abuse-but not their photographs-may be allowed only in cases when the adult victim (above 18 years old) has firm to file a case in court. 1. Suspects in criminal cases must be properly described as suspects, Photographs of a police menu of suspects must be avoided, except in cases of large public interest, and when prima facie evidence has been established against suspects who are publicly accountable officials. . Documents that had been leaked by sources, especially those from the government, must be properly described as leaked documents, when used in a story. As much as possible, the source must identified. 3. We shall comply equal prominence to rejoinders, rebutta ls and clarification from persons or agencies criticized in our stories. These should run without any delays, or as promptly as possible, and should be edited only for grammar. 4. When we commit errors of fact or impression, we must acknowledge this on print, and promptly issue a clarification. . Misleading practices such as misrepresentation, trickery, impersonation, and the use of cabalistic tape recorders in newsgathering can seriously undermine a newspapers credibility and trustworthiness and should be avoided. An editor confronted with a decision to employ such methods should meet the following conditions * Public importance. The expected news story should be of such public interest that its news value clearly outweighs the persecute to trust and credibility that might result from the use of deception. * Alternatives.The story cannot moderately be recast to avoid the need to misrepresent. * Last resort. All other means of getting the story must have been exhausted. * Disclos ure. The deceptive practices and the reasons wherefore they were used should be disclosed on print at the time the story is published. Advisory No code of ethics can pass judgment every situation. Common sense and good judgment are required in applying ethical principles to newspaper realities. Individual newspapers are encouraged to adjoin these guidelines with locally produced codes that apply more specifically to their own situations.