CRITERIA

The journalists should:

1. Report with accuracy and precision

The professional journalists are committed to the pursuit of the truth and, consequently, they have the obligation to report the reality of the events with the highest fidelity possible. The media always have to maintain a clear distinction between fact and opinion, disclose only information that’s been verified with due diligence and avoid spreading conjectures and rumours as if they were facts.

2. Avoid harm due to information without sufficient basis

The journalists should not use abusive expressions nor disclose facts that are imprecise or without sufficient basis and that may injure the dignity of people and cause harm or discredit to public or private entities.

The journalists must contact previously with those who could be affected, providing them the opportunity to reply.

3. Rectify incorrect information

The journalists have the obligation to amend both the information and the resulting interpretations that have been proven false or wrong, and that should be done promptly and with an appropriate treatment and extent. At the same time, the media must meet the right of reply when this is requested on reasonable terms.

4. Use legitimate and worthy methods to obtain information

The use of hidden cameras and any other surreptitious or misleading procedure to obtain information, pictures and testimonies is unacceptable. The interception and revelation without consent of private material obtained from mobile telephones, electronic messaging and other communication devices is also unacceptable.

An exemption could be granted in case of incidents or events of unequivocal public interest, when there is no other option left to comply appropriately with the right to information.

Paying sources for information goes against the good journalistic practice and it is inadmissible when it endangers the principle of truthfulness or when it is likely to interfere with the action of Justice.

Plagiarism is unacceptable. It is necessary to apply the proper professional practices when using others’ work.

5. Cite the sources and preserve the professional secrecy

To assure the credibility of the information, the sources must be quoted. However, journalists have the moral obligation to protect them by invoking professional secrecy when necessary. Confidentiality is useful to protect people in a situation of vulnerability or risk, but in no case the anonymity can be used for unjustified attacks against individuals and organizations.

Good journalistic practice requires also an appropria- tely treatment of the information received under embar- go, as well as to respect the off the record agreement.

6. Reconcile the individual rights with the public right to know

The journalist must defend the right to information in front of any restriction to the transparency required by the public interest, especially when the sources are government institutions and agencies. However, one must concede the individual and legal persons the right not to provide any information or to answer questions. Intimidating and persistent harassment is a reprehensi- ble practice.

7. Avoid conflict of interests

The journalists should never accept payments or rewards by third parties that intend to promote, orient or get published certain information and opinions. The acceptance of promotional or commemorative gifts can never exceed the strict criteria of courtesy, accor- ding to the scale established by the journalistic orga- nizations. It is not admissible to practise journalism simultaneously with other paid activities that endanger the principles of truthfulness and independence.

It is necessary to refuse formulas of promotion or advertising under the deliberate appearance of journa- listic information.

As a general rule, the information professionals should avoid any situation of conflict of interests, whether political, commercial, economic, financial or familiar, that calls into question the credibility and impartiality of his role.

8. Not use privileged information for one’s own good

The journalists should not use in their own benefit the information received confidentially in the exercise of their function, regardless of whether it is published or not, nor pass it on to third parties for similar reasons. They also should avoid pronouncing on companies and products in which they have some financial interest, either directly or through family members or people they know well. The same rules should apply regarding the betting and gaming industry.

9. Respect the right to privacy

People should be treated with respect and dignity, particularly the most vulnerable ones. Unnecessary interference and speculations about their feelings and circumstances should be avoided. Harming unjustifia- bly the dignity of individuals through words or pictures, even beyond their death, disobey the journalistic ethics.

The cases of suicide will be disclosed only when they have personal relevance or a real public interest, bea- ring in mind always the risk of a mimetic effect.

10. Safeguard the presumption of innocence

Any person accused of or charged for a crime has the right to the presumption of innocence in the informati- on and opinions related to the investigations, lawsuits or criminal proceedings. The respect and protection of this right is valid from the beginning of the police interventions until guilt has been proved in a process celebrated with the necessary guarantees. The journa- lists should prevent prejudices and should not submit suspects to parallel trials.

11. Protect the rights of minors

Spreading the identity of minors should be avoided when they appear as victims (except in the case of murder and cases of kidnappings or disappearances), witnesses or suspects. This consideration is particu- larly relevant in matters of special social significance, such as sex abuse, suicides, problems related to adoptions or children of incarcerated parents. Besides, the journalists should avoid identifying against their will innocent relatives or other close people of accused or convicted persons in criminal proceedings.

As a general rule, children should not be interviewed nor photographed or filmed without the explicit con- sent of their parents, legal guardians, teachers or edu- cators. It is also not fair to allege the public relevance of relatives or close people to justify the interference in the children’s private life or the exploitation of their image.

12. Respect the dignity of the persons, as well as their physical and moral integrity

No one can be discriminated because of gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability,
belief, ethnic origin, nationality and social extraction. Likewise, the journalists should avoid using degrading expressions that may incite hatred and the use of vio- lence. The journalists need to be especially sensitive to diversity and act with a sense of justice and respect for the people and the groups affected.

APPENDIXES

Appendix A:

Advice on image manipulation

In photojournalism the pictures must be credited with author, date, place and relevant elements that identify the image, unless this could put in danger the safety of the sources. Manipulations that involve altering the visual information captured originally by the camera’s lens and recorded on the storage medium are not allowed; that is to say: add, delete, move or modify any element of the original image.

In the field of photo-illustration the alteration of images is legitimate, without any other limit than the responsibility of the author, and with the obligation to inform, aptly, the reader of the type of alteration practiced.