Other Codes of Conduct
Journalists, professional bodies, and employers in broacasting and other parts of the media have for many years published their own guidelines, which are enshrined in office Style Books, Newsroom Guides and Professional Codes of Conduct. These are often intended to serve a dual purpose–to ensure stylistic consistency, including spelling and detailed use of language, and to establish ground-rules for ethical behaviour and editorial standards. Among these:
• The National Union of Journalists represents the majority of unionised journalists working in British broadcasting and the newspaper industry. Its code covers a wide range of conduct including professional and ethical standards, defence of press freedom, fairness, accuracy and the protection of sources.
• The BBC’s Producers’ Guidelines, which have been made available to the public as well as distributed to staff, establish a framework for ethical behaviour on straight dealing in programmes, impartiality, privacy, crime reporting, terrorism, taste and decency, violence and many other important issues.
• Britain’s national newspaper editors agreed their own common code in 1989. Their recognition of the need for improved self-regulation is published under five main headings: Respect for Privacy, Opportunity for Reply, Prompt Correction, Conduct of Journalists, Race and Colour. They also agreed on the establishment of a system of readers’ representatives to take up complaints and breaches of the code.
The Posts policy
In the United States, the respected Washington Post haspledged itself to strict avoidance of conflicting interests or the appearance of conflicting interests as part of a firm policy on standards and ethics. Reporters and editors must accept no free trips or gifts from news sources, and must not be actively involved in any partisan causes which could compromise the paper’s ability to report and edit fairly. Invitations to meals are one of the few exceptions to the ‘no gift’ rule.
Commonsense rules
No-one wants to stop you playing a full part in society, but as a reporter you are inevitably in the public eye, and it is important to accept from the outset that your conduct–off-duty especially–could affect your credibility with the audience. My strong advice, old-fashioned though it might seem, is based on commonsense: avoid any interests which others might construe as being in confict with your professional responsibilities.