Editors Code Flashcards
1
Q
How many clauses are there?
A
16
2
Q
What are the 16 clauses?
A
- Accuracy
- Privacy
- Harassment
- Intrusion into grief or shock
- Reporting Suicide
- Children
- Children in sex cases
- Hospitals
- Reporting of crime
- Clandestine devices and subterfuge
- Victims of sexual assault
- Discrimination
- Financial Journalism
- Confidential Sources
- witness payments in criminal trials
- Payment to Criminals
3
Q
Which clauses can be over-ruled by a Public interest defence?
A
Privacy, Harassment, reporting suicide, children, children in sex cases, Hospitals, reporting of crime, clandestine devices and subterfuge, and payment to criminals
4
Q
What does the public interest include?
A
- detecting or exposing crime / the threat of crime / serious impropriety
- Protecting public health or safety
- Protecting the public from being misled by an action/statement of an individual or org
- Disclosing a person’s or organisation’s failure or likely failure to comply with any obligation to which they are subject.
- Disclosing a miscarriage of justice
- Raising or contributing to a matter of public debate (including serious cases of impropriety, unethical conduct, or incompetence concerning the public interest)
- disclosing concealment or likely concealment of any of the above.
- There is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.
5
Q
Accuracy
A
- No inaccurate, misleading or distorted info or images are to be published (including headlines not supported by the text)
- Any misleading/distorted/inaccurate info must be corrected promptly and with due prominence & where appropriate an apology issued
- A fair opportunity to reply to any inaccuracies should be given
- The press must clearly distinguish between fact, conjecture and comment BUT are free to editorialise & campaign
6
Q
Privacy
A
- Everyone is entitled to to respect for their private and family life, home, health and correspondence, including digital communications
- Editor’s will be expected to justify any intrusion into a person’s private life without consent - Reasonable expectation of privacy
- it is unacceptable to take photos of someone without their consent in public of private places where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
7
Q
Harrassment
A
- Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit
- Must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist.
- Must not remain on property once asked to leave
- If requested, they must identify themselves and whom they represent.
- Must ensure these principles are observed by those working with them
8
Q
Intrusion into Grief or Shock
A
- approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion.
- Publication must be handled with sensitivity
- These provisions do not restrict the right to report legal proceedings
9
Q
Reporting Suicide
A
- Avoid reporting excessive detail of method used to prevent stimulative acts
10
Q
Children
A
- All pupils should be free to finish their time in school without intrusion
- They must not be approached or photographed at school without permission from school authorities
- Under 16s must not be photographed or interviewed without permission from a custodial parent or similar responsible adult.
- Under 16s must not be paid for material involving their welfare, nor parents/guardians for material about their children or wards, unless it is clearly in the child’s interest.
- Must not use the fame/notoriety/position of a parent as a sole justification for publishing details about a child’s personal life.
11
Q
children in sex cases
A
- Must not identify under 16s who are victims/witnesses of sex cases.
In any report about a case involving a sexual offence against a child:
- The child must not be identified
- The adult may be identified
- The word “incest” must not be used where a child victim may be identified
- Care must be taken that nothing in the report implies the relationship between the accused and the child.
12
Q
Hospitals
A
- Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non-public areas of a hospital or similar institutions to pursue inquiries.
- Restrictions of intruding privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries about individuals in hospitals or similar situations.
13
Q
Reporting of crime
A
- Relatives of the accused/convicted must not be identified without consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.
- Particular regard should be given to under 18s who are witnesses or victims of crimes. - does not restrict the right to report legal proceedings
- Avoid naming under 18s after they have been arrested but before they appear in a youth court unless name is already in the public domain or child has given consent - does not restrict the right to name juveniles who appear in a crown court, or whose anonymity has been lifted.
14
Q
Clandestine devices and Subterfuge
A
- must not seek to obtain material by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices, intercepting private or mobile phone calls, messages or emails,
- Must not gain info from the removal of unauthorised documents or photos or accessing digitally held info without consent
- Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge can generally be justified only through the public interest and then only when the material cannot be obtained any other way.
15
Q
Victims of sexual assault
A
- Must not publish material that could lead to the identification of a victim (unless there is adequate justification and they are legally free to do so)
- Journalists are entitled to make enquiries but must take care and exercise discretion.
