Part A: Principles and Ethics

The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased, sober and decent manner. To this end, the Press is expected to conduct itself in keeping with certain norms of professionalism, universally recognized. The norms enunciated below and other specific guidelines appended thereafter, when applied with due discernment and adaptation to the varying circumstance of each case, will help the journalist to self-regulate his or her conduct.

1. Accuracy and Fairness

a) The Press shall eschew publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted material. All sides of the core issue or subject should be reported. Unjustified rumors and surmises should not be set forth as facts.

b) It is incumbent for newspapers to play a positive role in response to rumours affecting the credibility of financial institutions having public interface.

c) While it is the duty of the press to expose the wrong doings that come to their notice, such reports need to be backed by irrefutable facts and evidences.

d) Newspaper should bear in mind that their duty is to collect the news and place it in perspective but not to create news.

e) Whenever any news is published on the basis of an FIR and is critical of the reputation of any person or body, the newspaper/journals must clearly state in the same news report that the report was only on the basis of the FIR and that veracity of the version of the FIR has got to be decided by the Court. The newspaper should also publish the version of the affected party.

f) The newspaper should not mis-construe or misquote the statements given by leader. The statements quoted in editorial should project the true spirit of what is being tried to be conveyed by them.

h) When a newspaper is following a story on a person and carries series of report on the issue associated with him, it ought to publish the news of his exoneration with same prominence as that of series of previous reports.

i) The newspaper is liable for damaging effects of publishing alarming/sensational heading of news story based on Study having no established credentials..

j) Gossip reaches a localized few, a newspaper report reaches lakhs and therefore a more onerous responsibility devolves on the Press towards the society.

k) Media must overcome the tendency of trivialization of information and build credibility in the society so as to win the confidence of the readers.

2. Pre-Publication Verification

a) On receipt of a report or article of public interest and benefit containing imputations or comments against a citizen, the editor should check with due care and attention its factual accuracy apart from other authentic sources- with the person or the organization concerned to elicit his/her or its version, comments or reaction and publish the same alongside with due correction in the report where necessary. In the event of lack or absence of response, a footnote to that effect may be appended to the report.

b) Publication of news such as those pertaining to cancellation of examinations or withdrawal of candidates from election should be avoided without proper verification and cross checking.

c) A document, which forms a basis of a news report, should be preserved at least for six months.

d) Newspaper should carry the Press Release only after establishing its authenticity which should bear the signature of authorized signatory and Departmental seal.

e) News reports that stem from a gossip or so called roving enquiry affecting the personal character of an individual, are not worthy of publication.

f) Personal animosity should not be reflected in a news item. Publishing news without any material even to prima facie substantiate the news item with a view to malign a person constitute an act of omission and commission.

g) Wrongly attributing historically incorrect remarks of grave nature to a political leader, which have far reaching repercussions without applying due diligence calls for severe action. The publication ought to verify the source of such statement at prepublication stage.

h) Allegations of dowry harassment are subject to scrutiny by court of law and the changes under Section 498-A of an I.P.C. should be reported upon by the media with more sensitivity avoiding publication of photographs of accused. The editor in such cases should also verify the stand of the accused.

i) Sacking of an officer over graft charges is a verifiable fact and the newspaper is expected to carry out such verification. Subsequent clarifications cannot mitigate the damage.