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How to be an eth 1


Since it first appeared in 1936, the NUJ code of conduct has evolved into 12 points. Tony Harcup considers them


A journalist at all times upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of


freedom of expression and the right of the public to be informed The right of the public to information is key here because that is fundamentally what journalism is about. Yes, it might be entertaining, enthralling, amusing and many other things and it might also be a way of making money but, unless it informs people in some way, then it isn’t worthy of the label journalism. The above point reflects the concepts of both human rights and of audience members being citizens. The points about media freedom and freedom of expression are, in this sense, the means to an end – the end being a better informed citizenry.


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A journalist strives to ensure that information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate


and fair For information to be useful , it has to be


accurate, but the above clause goes further to assert that technical accuracy is necessary but not sufficient on its own. There may be no requirement for formal balance or impartiality here (unlike the Ofcom code), nor of perfection – note the word ‘strives’ – but honesty and fairness are crucial when it comes to selecting which bits of information to include in a story and what to say about them.


A journalist does her/his utmost to correct harmful inaccuracies If you get something wrong, then you


have a duty to put it right, particularly if it might have serious consequences for the subject of the story or for the people who read, watch, or listen to it. In the long run, journalists who admit – and correct – their errors and more likely to be seen as trustworthy than those who pretend never to have slipped up.


4


A journalist differentiates between fact and opinion If people have a right to be informed


then they must have a right to know what is 16 | theJournalist


factual information and what is opinion, comment or analysis. Fact and opinion might both be necessary, but this clause asserts that they are better if distinguished from each other to enable members of the audience to form an independent opinion based on the reported facts. This is not always as simple as it sounds, because facts can be contested and what counts as opinion can itself be a matter of opinion. This point is a useful reminder to journalists to ask themselves if they are blurring the two in a way that might misinform.


5


A journalist obtains material by honest, straightforward and open means, with the


exception of investigations that are both overwhelmingly in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means Honesty and openness are the default position here when it comes to the gathering of information, which complements the earlier commitment to conveying that information in an honest way to the public. It is recognised that there might be exceptions to this, when a journalist might have to use deception, for example, but the bar is set deliberately high by the inclusion of the phrase ‘overwhelmingly in the public interest’. What counts as overwhelmingly in the public interest will remain contested, but the strong wording of this clause ought to prompt journalists to pause and reflect before embarking on any form of untruthfulness in pursuit of the truth. Can it really be justified? Is it really worth it? Is there really no other way of finding out the information?


6


A journalist does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless


justified by overriding consideration of the public interest Intrusions are by definition intrusive, so there needs to be a justification beyond nosiness or prurience – whether that’s for an invasion of privacy (examples might include people’s sex


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lives, domestic violence, drug habits, corrupt business practices, bullying behaviour, mental or physical health issues and so on) or for an approach after a bereavement. As with investigations, so with intrusions: the principle here is that there ought to be some genuine public interest, not just something about which some members of the public are curious.


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