New Media Code of Ethics

New media has changed the way the news industry operates. The interactive Internet 2.0, Wifi-enabled smartphones and smartwatches, social networking sites and upcoming digital technologies have facilitated the new role of ‘the consumer as the producer’, referencing the shifting abilities to engage with and produce stories that once-casual news viewers are now tasked with. As a result of these increasingly versatile platforms, a one-size-fits-all code of ethics is not practical or realistic. Casual social media users need not adhere to the same professional standards as leading journalists. What follows is a Code of Ethics designed for established publications in the vein of The Huffington Post or the Guardian. However, bloggers and citizen journalists’ appropriation of these principles would certainly lead to greater legitimacy and integrity within their work.

Independence

*Journalists may not own ties of any kind (e.g. financial stakes, part-time employment, publicity roles etc.) in companies they cover regularly.

*Journalists should be aware of personal biases or conflicts of interest that can alter their reporting. They will disclose to the audience situational factors that may validly affect judgement of their credibility.

*Journalists are not permitted to express partiality on topics they cover. Stories are objective, fact-based and formed from a neutral standpoint. Exceptions are made for journalists whose jobs specifically involve expressing opinions, such as editorial writers, columnists, commentators and cartoonists. However, journalists are free to express opinions (including on social media) on topics that they do not cover. For instance, a political writer may not produced opinionated political pieces, but may express opinions on health or entertainment.

*Journalists should not be permitted community involvement in areas that they cover. When they have to cover an area where they have a personal involvement, assigning another journalist should be considered. If a conflict can’t be avoided, coverage should disclose the conflict. However, journalists may engage in community activities in areas they do not cover. For instance, running for office and participating in candidate platforms is permissible so long as the journalist does not cover stories relating to political activity.

*Journalists do not accept gifts from subjects or potential subjects of coverage. If a gift is received that cannot be returned for whatever reason, or upholding this gift policy would be culturally insensitive in certain situations, journalists should donate them to charity or non-profit organizations.

*Exceptions are made for the acceptance of tickets to events being reviewed (e.g. film reviews), as it is customary practice in these fields to accept the passes.

*Maintain strict separation between editorial and advertising sections of publication. Do not allow the interests of advertisers or other funders to bleed into the integrity of the journalism.

*To ensure that these parties have no influence over editorial content, establish that advertisers/sponsors:

a) have no say in the selection of topics to be covered

b) have no say or input in the content of stories and photos

c) are provided no screenings of stories prior to publication, and subsequently…

d)have the inability to request revisions or additions to a story, whether published or unpublished

Accuracy + Fairness

*Be honest, accurate, truthful and fair. Verify sources and facts.

*Staff members must take responsibility for the accuracy of all information they publish, preferably using an accuracy checklist or screening before publication.

*Do not publish rumours or other information that has not been not verified.

*Refrain as much as possible from quoting sources who have a conflict of interest relating to the story that could skew the information provided.

*Cover not only the most powerful voices on an issue, but also those who are normally overlooked. Diverse sources are an asset both in specific stories and in routine beat coverage.

*If an issue generates debate, seek out and report a balance of both sides.

*Unless pertinent to the audience’s understanding of a story, it is discouraged to use racial, gender, ethnic, or religious identifications.

Privacy

*Above all, respect your audience and those you write about. Consider rights to privacy, and how written work’s permanence may affect the subjects of your reporting or the community at large before publishing.

*Unless there is a a compelling reason to withhold a name, publish names of people involved in the stories covered. Grant confidentiality if the source has a good reason (e.g. cannot talk freely), if important information cannot be obtained through on-the-record sources, or if covering a story about an issue could cause a person/child to be stereotyped, faced with intolerance, judged unfairly, put in harm’s way or have their safety compromised in any way.

*Disclose to readers or viewers the reasons for granting confidentiality.

*Even if they agree to speak on the record, do not publish names of sexual assault victims unless they explicitly grant permission to do so.

*Use discretion and seek permission when it comes to documenting material from trauma victims or bystanders, as doing so may cause additional harm.

*Allow undercover reporting when a story’s importance justifies doing so, and when it is not feasible to obtain information as a declared journalist.

*Obscure or pixellate an image and distort voices if there are compelling reasons to protect the identity of someone.

*Do not use content discovered online from private individuals without receiving their permission, but reserve the right to publish material if determined — based on news judgement and professional standards — that the material has valid public interest/importance.

*Take into account the news value of a public figure’s action, as not everything celebrities and public officials say and do should be made public.

*Do not name juvenile suspects in criminal cases unless they are charged with serious violent crimes, such as armed robbery or homicide.

*In breaking news stories, do not publish the names of dead people until authorities have notified families, unless compelling circumstances justify publication as soon as the names have been verified.

Social Media Ethics

*Journalists should project a courteous and professional manner on all social media platforms, using discretion and common sense throughout.

*Journalists should identify themselves as such in social media profiles, and should identify themselves as working for their organization if using the profile for professional purposes.

*Encourage staff members to retweet, reblog, share and otherwise pass along things they find interesting on social media. Trust them to exercise common sense and provide context where appropriate.

*If staff members want to share unconfirmed information on social media, such as rumour or hearsay, they must identify it as an unverified rumour.

Plagiarism/Attribution

*Work may not be passed off as one’s own if it is not.

*Don’t violate copyrights.

*Attribution should be as specific as possible, including the name of the author and publication of the source, and a link, if the source is digital.

*When using someone else’s exact words, use quotation marks and attribution.

*Note whenever material has been published before, even when using material from one’s own archives.

Corrections

*Correct errors quickly, completely and visibly. Make it easy for your audience to bring errors to your attention (often through comment sections or ‘Contact Us’ pages).

*Show all changes that have been made to online stories.

*Note corrections at the bottom of the story, noting what was originally written and what it was changed to with an asterisk * and a timestamp for the specific date the correction was made.

*Update a story in archives, including the headline, if the story would damage someone’s reputation and is outdated.

*If a mistake is made in a social media post, you may delete the original post and publish a corrected version with an indication that the new post is a correction.

Sensitive Material

*Do not include sensitive content superfluously, for shock value, or for more views. There must be a clear reason for inclusion, such as a valid public interest or legitimate contribution to the story as a whole.

*Always run disclaimers and warnings beforehand if there is sensitive material (e.g. profanity, sexual content, disturbing images) in a specific story.

*Replace obscenities, vulgarities and slurs with something that implies the word rather than stating it directly (e.g. “f — ”).

*Obscure or pixellate images to protect viewers from gory or graphic material.

Interviews

*Ensure that sources are reliable. Include any conditions subjects have set for giving you information.

*Organizations may provide interview subjects with the general topic of an interview in advance.

*Organizations should never never provide interview subjects with a list of specific questions in advance.

*Organization may provide interviewees with transcripts of interviews in advance of publication to aid in instances of clarification, fact-checking, or technical matters, but this does not permit interviewees to revise their statements or approach to a story.

*If a report includes criticism or serious allegations of people or organizations, give them the opportunity to respond. Make a genuine effort to reach them. If they decline to comment or do not respond, you should say so.