Journalists must balance privacy with robust public interest reporting. This might require necessary and justified interference to ensure thorough coverage.
This how-to guide is essential for new journalists because it explains the delicate balance between the public’s right to know and an individual’s right to a private life. It is based on the article ‘Respecting privacy as a journalist’ which we recommend you read before applying the checklist below.
Understanding these boundaries is a vital step in becoming an ethical and professional reporter. A lot hinges on applying ‘The public interest test’.
- [ ] Identify a clear public interest before intruding: Only interfere with someone’s privacy if the story is about crime, corruption, injustice, or serious neglect. You must ensure your motive is to expose wrongdoing rather than to satisfy curiosity, gain more clicks, attract more viewers and listeners, or sell more copies.
- [ ] Recognise what counts as private: Understand that privacy covers anything a person would reasonably expect to keep secret. This includes people in semi-public places, such as patients in a hospital or clinic, who still expect their medical details to remain private.
- [ ] Verify all material sent by the public: If you use images or videos sent in by members of the public, you must check they are real. Use technical tools like metadata analysis or reverse image searches to make sure the content is authentic before you publish it.
- [ ] Seek permission for sensitive recordings: Always talk to your senior editor before you use hidden cameras, record telephone calls for broadcast, or use unattended recording equipment. You must be able to justify why a secret recording is the only way to get the story.
- [ ] Stop filming if asked, unless justified: If someone asks you to stop taking notes or photos, you should usually respect their request. Only continue if there is a massive public interest, and be prepared to explain your reasons clearly to your editor.
- [ ] Obtain double consent in sensitive locations: When working in schools, hospitals, or prisons, you often need two types of permission: one to gather the material and another to actually publish or broadcast it.
- [ ] Show empathy during times of grief: Be extremely sensitive when approaching people who have suffered a loss. Do not pressure them for interviews. If they do not want to talk, respect their silence. Remember that intruding on private grief is rarely in the public interest.
- [ ] Protect personal data: Never share telephone numbers, email addresses, or other personal details of your sources or subjects without their direct permission.
- [ ] Be consistent with global standards: Apply the same ethical rules to everyone, regardless of where they live. A grieving family in a distant country deserves the same respect and privacy as a family living in your own town.
Navigating the line between a great scoop and a person’s privacy is one of the hardest parts of the job, but if you follow these steps, you will build a reputation as a journalist who can be trusted.
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