Act Independently
Journalists should not be influenced by or have obligations to other people or
interests (such as advertisers or organizations) when seeking or writing a story.
They should avoid situations that result in bias or self-censorship. They should also keep their professional life separate from their personal life.
Avoid all real or perceived conflicts of interest. If volunteering with a particular campaign for
a non-profit organization, do not produce a story about the same subject, as the story will lose credibility.
Also, do not keep a personal blog about the same material that you cover.
Avoid self-censorship.Be sure that you air a story in it's true light, even if it is a negative story about a sponsor. A sponsor should not dictate a news station's content, newsworthiness should. Consult co-workers
to check for the presence of self-censorship in a story.
Be weary of sources offering information for favors or money. If a source requests something
in return for their knowledge or information, question their motives for doing so. If the information is
valuable or important for the public to know, question why they wouldn't want to disclose the information themselves.
Be Accountable
Journalists have an obligation to their viewers, sources, and each other. They must
keep the public's trust and be accountable to their sources.
Be transparent. Explain all aspects of the news gathering process. If someone requested anonymity,
tell the viewers why. The audience should have knowledge of any potential conflicts of interest and
be able to access an entire interview or a document in full, if avaliable.
Admit mistakes. Admit mistakes and correct them properly. It's important that the audience has the
most up-to-date, accurate information availiable. If you misidentify someone, get any fact wrong, or
make an ethical mistake, own up to it. Do not lose the respect of your viewers or undermine their
importance.
Invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct. Without viewers, there would be no
need for a news program. Therefore, it's important to keep an audience pleased with and engaged in the overall newscast and individual stories. If a controversial issue or story of particular importance to the
public arises, give the public the outlet to voice their concerns and/or opinions. Do this by utilizing social media.
Minimize Harm
Journalists have a responsibility to produce newsworthy, valuable content while treating sources, colleagues, and new subjects with respect.
If journalists make conscious decisions to treat others fairly and be sensative when getting the story,
viewers will continue to watch the newscast and
be respectful of journalists who produced it.
Be sensitive when seeking interviews and b-roll footage of people affected by tragedy
or grief. If someone has just lost a friend or loved one,
be compassionate. Do not just seek the perfect
soundbite to further your own means. Do not be intrusive. Leave your equipment in the car before
asking them to
speak with you. When a tragedy occurs, consider the families affected by the tragedy
before airing sensitive content that would force them to relive the incident.
Avoid Stereotyping. Stereotyping is an easy way out of good reporting and does not accurately portray
facts to an audience.
Do not make stereotypes about age, gender, race, or any other characterization in a
story and do not let stereotypes influence your
journalistic decisions. Be sure to accurately represent the
people in your community when pulling together your newscast. Consult a wide
variety of experts and
citizens to diversify your newscast.
Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause discomfort. Pursuit of the
news is not a license for arrogance. Some subjects are difficult
for some people to talk about. Be mindful
of this when pursuing a story and do your best to relate to your source.
Seek the Truth and Report It
Journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering reporting and interpreting information. They should not be satisfied with information at face
value and should be
inquisitive about everything they are told or find out.
Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. If a sponsor has provided news content,
clearly identify on air that the material
was provided by the station's sponsor. Clearly identify
commentary and analysis as such. Be weary of business or product profiles, as they be construed as a commercial for
the company or business.
Consult a variety of sources. There will always be more than one source avaliable for a story. Do
your best to interview sources
with differing opinions and views. If a person chooses to go off the
record, find at least two other people to go on record to supplement the
information.
Avoid undercover methods of gathering information, unless traditional methods are unavaliable. If an undercover method is utilized, explain it as part of the story. In situations like these, transparency is key.
