RESPECT FOR TRUTH AND THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO INFORMATION ARE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF JOURNALISM. JOURNALISTS SEARCH, DISCLOSE, RECORD, QUESTION, ENTERTAIN, COMMENT, AND REMEMBER. THEY INFORM CITIZENS AND ANIMATE DEMOCRACY. THEY SCRUTINISE POWER BUT ALSO EXERCISE IT AND SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE.

DIVESA MEMBERS ENGAGED IN JOURNALISM COMMIT THEMSELVES TO:

  • HONESTY
  • FAIRNESS
  • INDEPENDENCE
  • RESPECT FOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS

Divesa Journalists will educate themselves about ethics and apply the following standards:

  1. Report and interpret honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness, and disclosure of all essential facts. Do not suppress relevant available facts or give distorting emphasis. Do your utmost to provide a fair opportunity for reply.
  2. Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender,

age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.

  • Aim to attribute information to its source. Where a source seeks anonymity, do not agree without first considering the source’s motives and any alternative attributable source. Where confidences are accepted, respect them in all circumstances.
  • Do not allow personal interest or any belief, commitment, payment, gift, or benefit, to undermine your accuracy, fairness, or independence.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest that affect, or could be seen to affect, the accuracy, fairness, or independence of your journalism. Do not improperly use a journalistic position for personal gain.
  • Do not allow advertising or other commercial considerations to undermine accuracy, fairness, or independence.
  • Do your utmost to ensure disclosure of any direct or indirect payment made for interviews, pictures, information, or stories.
  • Use fair, responsible, and honest means to obtain material. Identify yourself and your employer before obtaining any interview for publication or broadcast. Never exploit a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice.
  • Present all pictures and sounds which are true and accurate. Any manipulation likely to mislead should be disclosed.
  • Do not plagiarise.
  • Respect private grief and personal privacy of individuals. Journalists have the right to resist the compulsion to intrude.
  • Do your utmost to achieve fair correction of errors.

Guidance Clause: Basic values often need interpretation and sometimes come into conflict. Ethical journalism requires conscientious decision-making in context. Only substantial advancement of the public interest or risk of substantial harm to people allows any standard to be overridden.