Ethics
Photojournalism and ethics
The following are commonly accepted ethical guidelines for photojournalists adopted by most mainstream media.
Respecting privacy as a journalist
Journalists face a difficult balancing act. They must respect privacy, but they must also investigate issues that are in the public interest.
Offence and journalism
Journalists must ensure that the material they use in coverage has a clear editorial purpose. Where that material is likely to offend, there need to be clear warnings of what is coming up.
Conflicts of interest
In journalism, public trust is essential for credibility. One of the most significant threats to that trust are the many possible conflicts of interest that might confront journalists.
Impartiality in journalism
For journalists, being impartial means presenting information without demonstrating favouritism towards any specific viewpoint or party.
Unconscious bias and journalism
Bias is a prejudice or favour for or against an individual or group. It is often an inaccurate and unfair judgement. We are all biased. It’s normal, although it is not desirable.
Is your journalism ethical?
Reliable journalism is based on applying strict editorial ethics to all we do so that we can examine the issues that have the most impact on the lives of our audience.
Accuracy in journalism
A piece of journalism should have many admirable qualities but one is more important than all the rest: accuracy. Rule Number One is: get it right. If you cannot appreciate and respect that rule, there is no point in going into journalism.