Code of Journalists of the Republic of Slovenia

1. A journalist’s fundamental obligation is to provide the public with authentic and true information.

A journalist reports as a witness or on the basis of facts and evidence that have a known origin.

Omitting crucial and known facts, concealing and banning information or falsifying documents is against the code. The norm of trustworthiness, that is the principle of truth, must be respected in text, picture and sound.

Any violation done by cutting, editing or in any other deceptive way, that alters the true message of the source, is unacceptable.

It is a journalist’s right not to be impeded in gathering and conveying the information and to report the cases where the access to information has been illegally of groundlessly restricted.

Principle 1.1. Pre-electoral period

For the sake of objective as well as free and balanced information, journalists are entitled to report from pre-electoral meetings also the opinions that might be against their personal belief. This principle applies also to advertisements or announcements protected by the freedom of press.

Principle 1.2. Press releases

The releases for public and press, issued by the authorities, political parties, societies or other associations of interest, have to be specially declared as such, that is clearly marked, particularly when no editorial work has been done on them.

1. A journalist has to check very carefully all information in pictures and words, intended for publishing; their arrangement, grouping and pattern. Headlines and sub-heads must not alter or falsify the contents. Unconfirmed news, rumors or assumptions must be declared to be such. Library material (photographs from archives) and symbolic pictures need also to be declared as such. Plagiarism is irreconcilable with the code of journalists.

Principle 2.1. Publishing of public opinion polls

The code recommends making known the methods of research: the number of people that answered the research questionnaires, the time when the research was done and who commissioned the research.

Principle 2.2. Symbolic illustration

When an illustration could be understood as an authentic recording, although it is not, it is recommended to add an explanation:

• a supplementary or additional illustration,
• an illustration in the manner of stylization (artistic visualization of the text).
• a photomontage (photo-edit) or other alterations of the original.

Principle 2.3. Announcements or excerpts

When announcements are made of the contents of articles, the shorter versions or complements should not alter the meaning of the original and not allow the drawing of any wrong conclusions.

Principle 2.4. Interview

An interview is irreproachable from the aspect of journalism, if the interviewee authorizes the final version. In cases where the authorization is not possible due to the lack of time, the interviewee has to be informed undoubtedly and in advance that his statements will be published in the form of an interview. An interview in verbal or written form in such circumstances is not regarded as mere news, but as a piece of work, which is protected by the author’s legal rights, especially when the text is restructured with quotations included. When an article is based on an interview of a personal character, which is published whole or in its vital parts, the source needs to be declared. When a journalist indirectly summarizes essential thoughts in his or her own words, a journalist’s honor obliges him to declare the source.

Principle 2.5. Embargo

A time limit that prohibits publishing certain news before a set  time, is acceptable from the professional point of view only when it is for the benefit of informing. An embargo is, in principle, an uncommitted agreement between the source and the media. Respecting of the embargo is meaningful only when based on a professionally grounded reason: the text of a speech before the speech is actually done, a business report sent in advance, an information on the event which is to take place (meetings, conclusions, ceremonies…) It is unbecoming to use the embargo to achieve greater publicity.

Principle 2.6. Readers’ letters

1) Letters from the readers should be published when in their form and contents they meet the form of expressing an opinion and as such contribute to the forming of a public opinion.

2) A reader sending such a letter should declare in it that it is meant for public publishing. In case of doubt, the editor is obliged to consult the author.

3) As a rule letters from readers should be published together with the name of the author. Only in exceptional cases, known to the editorship, only in the initials of the author may be published or some other adequate solution found.

4) Legal restrictions applying to punishable offences apply also to the publishing of the letters from readers. The responsible editor will be held responsible for them.

5) To publish falsified readers’ letters in order to deceive the public is irreconcilable with the code of journalists. When there is any doubt regarding the identity of the author, the editor is obliged to check it. Readers’ letters can be abridged only if the column bears a permanent notice on the recommended length and a warning that longer letters shall be abridged, but that the abridged version shall not alter the meaning and contents of the letter.

1. A journalist is obliged to distinguish the information and the commentary. The distinction between reporting the facts and a commentary must be obvious.
2. The information or statement that later proves to be wrong, must be corrected by a journalist that reported it or by his or her editorial office – immediately and on his or their own initiative and in an adequate form.

Principle 4.1. Correction

A correction must undoubtedly declare that previous information as a whole or in part was untrue. Therefore the previous publication of the information, now corrected, need to be mentioned together with the correction. The editorship is obliged to publish the correction. It cannot be avoided by publishing, for example, a reader’s letter.

1. It is against the code to use illegal and dishonest means in seeking and gathering information, evidence and pictures.

Principle 5.1. Identification

A journalist performing his task need to present him/ herself and, if requested, present his/ her journalist card. It is irreconcilable with the code to conceal journalist’s identity.

Principle 5.2. Research

Research is a legitimate means of publicist activity. At this it is necessary to respect the limitation comprised in the Constitution, the Laws and the respect of the honour of the person. Eventual public interest cannot serve as an excuse for illegal or immoral ways or methods of journalistic research.

In case of accidents and catastrophes saving the injured and victims has the priority before the right to inform the public.

1. A journalist is obliged to respect the confidence demanded by his/ her source of information.

A journalist respects a business secret, may refuse to appear as a witness and has the right to refuse to reveal his/ her source of information.

Principle 6.1. Confidence

A journalist is obliged to respect the confidence at all times, unless the information is part of a plan for committing a criminal offense, where a journalist is obliged by law to report it.

Principle 6.2. Informing the intelligence service

A journalist which serves as an informer to an intelligence service, discredits the profession of a journalist and the function of journalism.

Principle 6.3. Distinction of a journalist and political activity

If and when a journalist accepts a leading function in a political party or in an organ of the state authorities, it is recommendable to make a clear distinction between his professional and political activities.

For the reputation and credibility of journalism it is useful that in such cases a journalist stops performing in his profession for the time when he is actively engaged in politics. Thus it is possible to avoid the feeling of double loyalty or dependence

1. It is irreconcilable with the journalistic code to perform acquisition, accept a bribe or publish information to serve the purpose and benefit of an outside ordering party.

Advertising messages and advertisements must be clearly and undoubtedly separated from journalistic messages.

Principle 7.1. Separation of journalistic messages and advertisements

Advertisements and paid advertising messages must be distinctly separated from the messages in the spirit of this code in their form, contents and approach. In case of any doubt, it is necessary to add a note and thus point out that the message is a paid advertisement.

1. A journalist protects the personality and privacy of a person against unjustified and sensationalistic revealing to the public. A journalist is especially tactful and considerate when reporting on accidents, tragic events in families, diseases, children and juvenile persons.

When reporting on matters from the field of jurisdiction, a journalist must pay regard to the fact that no one is to be said to be guilty until the person is lawfully found guilty.

It is irreconcilable with the code to praise criminal, terrorism, violence and inhumanity.

Principle 8.1. Mentioning names, publishing pictures/ photographs

To mention names and publish pictures/ photographs of persons causing accidents or victims of accidents in reports on the accidents, investigations and prosecution procedures is in general not justified. It is always necessary to consider and decide between the public interest and rights of the individual person in question.

Special protection should be given to victims of assaults and crimes as well as to the family of the incriminated person that committed the crime.

Principle 8.2. Jubilees

Announcements of jubilees of persons which do not perform exposed public functions are generally acceptable and allowed, provided the person celebrating the jubilee consented to it.

Principle 8.3. Disease

Physical and psychical diseases or impairments are an inalienable part of personal privacy and as a rule cannot be the subject of journalistic reporting when names are mentioned.

1. Publishing of unfounded accusations, charges, lies, offences and libels is against the code of journalists.
2. Any discrimination based on the sex, membership in ethnical, religious, social or national groups, any violation of religious feelings and customs, any kind of warmonger activity or engagement in igniting conflicts among different nations is irreconcilable with the code.
3. A journalist has the right to refuse to perform any task which is against this code and his personal belief, without being punished.

No one is entitled to change or alter a journalist’s product in order to change its contents or vitally abridge it without the consent or permission of the journalist-author.

A journalist has the right to sign his reports.

A journalist’s name cannot be signed under his/ her piece of work without his/ her knowledge or against his/ her will.

Principle 11.1. Unsigned articles and pseudonyms

The editorship takes upon itself the responsibility for an unsigned article or an article signed by a pseudonym.

[Adopted by Journalists of the Republic of Slovenia in 1993]

Last updated on 29.10.2018. Source: Accountable Journalism