Journalistic Ethics

Dr. Anand Pradhan IIMC, New Delhi

Journalistic Ethics

Journalistic ethics and standards include principles of ethics and of good practices to address the specific challenges faced by professional journalists. These principles are also known to journalists as their professional “Code of Ethics”.

Why it matters?• Enhances credibility,

reliability and reputation of journalists and their news organisations

• Ensures freedom with responsibility

• Professional satisfaction

• Limits governmental intervention

Journalistic Ethics • Truth and accuracy• Objectivity• Impartiality or fairness• Balance • Serving public interest • Personal integrity• Respect for individual privacy• Independence from vested

interest• Respect for Law and

universal human values• Moral decency and good

taste

Objectivity: Myth or reality?• Originally it was not the journalist

who was imagined to be objective. It was his/her method.

• How to ensure objectivity in reporting :

-Unequivocal separation between news and opinion

-Unequivocal separation between news and advertisement

-Competing points of view are balanced and fairly characterised and reported.

Ensuring objectivity…- Reporter/Journalist must avoid conflict of interests-

incentive to report a story with a given slant. It includes not taking bribes and not reporting on stories that affect the reporter’s personal, economic and political interests.

- Persons who are subject of adverse news stories are allowed a reasonable opportunity to respond to the adverse information before the story is published or broadcast.

- Interference with reporting by any entity including censorship/ conflict of interest must be disclosed.

Dealing with sources• Here are certain rules/norms

about how to deal with sources?• Confidentiality of anonymous

sources• Avoidance of anonymous sources• Accurate attribution of

statements made by individuals or others

• Plagiarism is strongly stigmatised and in many cases illegal

• Never depend on one source and always verify

• Never pay or accept any gift, bribe or favours

Accuracy • The essence of journalism is a

discipline of verification

• It separates journalism from fiction or propaganda.

- Never add anything that was not there.

- Never deceive the audience.- Be transparent as possible about

your methods and motives.- Rely on your own original

reporting

Techniques of verification

• Skeptical reporting- Verifying and checking a story line by line, statements

by statement, editing the assertions in the stories as well as facts.

- Events with single eyewitness are reported with attribution. Events with two or more independent eyewitness may be reported as facts. All controversial facts are reported with attribution.

Accuracy checklist• Is the lead is sufficiently supported?• Has someone double checked the facts?• Is the background material required to understand the story

complete?• Are all the stakeholder in the story identified and have

representatives from all the side been contacted and given a chance to talk?

• Does the story pick the sides or make subtle value judgments?

• Is anything missing?• Are all the quotes accurate and properly attributed?

Assume nothing

• Importance of verifying presumed facts.• Don’t rely on official or news accounts. Get as

close as you can to primary sources.• Be systematic. Corroborate. Question.

Fairness • Treat all subjects of news coverage with respect and dignity showing particular compassion to victims of crimes and tragedy.

• Exercise special care when children are involved in a story and give children greater privacy protection.

• Respect the right to a fair trial.• Corrections are published when

errors are discovered or pointed out.

• Mind your language• Present diversity of expressions,

opinions and ideas in context.

Balance

• Never exaggerate and maintain a sense of proportion

• Maintain balance between two or more competing views

• Avoid emotional outbursts

Thanks..