Ethics
The essential ethical issues that face all journalists who are attempting to inform the public debate.
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.
Fairness in journalism
Fairness in journalism means exploring all sides of an issue and reporting the findings accurately.
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.
Photojournalism and ethics
The following are commonly accepted ethical guidelines for photojournalists adopted by most mainstream media.
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.
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.
Integrity and journalism
Without integrity your journalism is untrustworthy and suspect. Integrity is essential if a journalist wants to investigate issues, shine a light in dark places, and to dig where others don't.
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