Responsibility. The primary purpose of
gathering and distributing news and opinion is to serve the general welfare by
informing the people and enabling them to make judgments on the issues of the
time. Newspapermen and women who abuse the power of their professional role for
selfish motives or unworthy purposes are faithless to that public trust. The
American press was made free not just to inform or just to serve as a forum for
debate but also to bring an independent scrutiny to bear on the forces of power
in the society, including the conduct of official power at all levels of
government.
Freedom of the Press. Freedom of the
press belongs to the people. It must be defended against encroachment or
assault from any quarter, public or private. Journalists must be constantly
alert to see that the public's business is conducted in public. They must be
vigilant against all who would exploit the press for selfish purposes.
Independence. Journalists must avoid
impropriety and the appearance of impropriety as well as any conflict of
interest or the appearance of conflict. They should neither accept anything nor
pursue any activity that might compromise or seem to compromise their
integrity.
Truth and Accuracy. Good faith with the
reader is the foundation of good journalism. Every effort must be made to
assure that the news content is accurate, free from bias and in context, and
that all sides are presented fairly. Editorials, analytical articles and
commentary should be held to the same standards of accuracy with respect to facts
as news reports. Significant errors of fact, as well as errors of omission,
should be corrected promptly and prominently.
Impartiality. To be impartial does not
require the press to be unquestioning or to refrain from editorial expression.
Sound practice, however, demands a clear distinction for the reader between
news reports and opinion. Articles that contain opinion or personal
interpretation should be clearly identified.
Fair Play. Journalists should respect
the rights of people involved in the news, observe the common standards of
decency and stand accountable to the public for the fairness and accuracy of
their news reports. Persons publicly accused should be given the earliest
opportunity to respond. Pledges of confidentiality to news sources must be
honored at all costs, and therefore should not be given lightly. Unless there
is clear and pressing need to maintain confidences, sources of information
should be identified
Likewise Unesco Issued International Principles of
Professional Ethics by the fourth consultative meeting of
international and regional journalists, Paris, 1983, under the auspices of
UNESCO.
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