"Ethics for Journalists critically explores many of the dilemmas that journalists face in their work and supports journalists in good ethical decision-making. From building trust, to combatting disinformation, to minimizing harm to vulnerable people through responsible suicide reporting, this book p
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rovides substantial analysis of key contemporary ethical debates and offers guidance on how to address them. Revised and updated throughout, this third edition covers: the influence of press freedom and misinformation on trust; the novel ethical challenges presented by social media; the need for diversity of sources and in the newsroom, specifically relating to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability; issues around vulnerable people-reporting traumatic events, bereaved people, suicide and privacy; health journalism and reporting a pandemic; the impact of regulation on professional standards." (Back cover)
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"Covering the polarizing and fragmented opinions over Islam and the rights of women, for example, requires context, attachment to core ethical values, and stylish truth-telling. Without professional expertise, a good understanding of the issues in play and a commitment to diversity in their approach
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media and journalists can do damage. They can incite hatred. They can perpetuate stereotypes. They can create ignorance and misunderstanding. These guidelines aim to help editors and reporters to avoid these pitfalls, to better understand the issues and to shape their stories in ethical ways. It is not easy in an aggressive and competitive media landscape where journalism can become trapped in a world of sensational headlines and sound bites. News media are often vehicles for Islamophobia, sometimes inadvertently, through the rushed reporting of intemperate political discourse. Often there is a lack of fact-based analysis and a lack of clarity over changes in policy that may impinge upon basic freedoms, such as free speech, religious freedom and equality for women. These guidelines are not instructions to journalists on how to do their work. They provide tips and suggestions on the ways media can avoid reproducing biased discourse that does harm through reporting that will provide the European public, policymakers and civil society groups with truthful information on the threats posed by anti-Muslim racism, particularly as it affects to women." (Introdcution, page 7)
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"This report has been compiled to investigate the ways in which Muslims are portrayed in the media across Europe. It investigates how media report on topics where the problem of anti-Muslim bias often arises, particularly migration and terrorism. The aims of the investigation are to establish the pr
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evalence and nature of bias and to look at what is being done and can be done in the future to counter negative narratives. The countries included are: Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom. In carrying out this investigation, which covers the years 2015-2017, investigation has reviewed relevant material including EJN regional reports on the coverage of migration within those countries and a further ten countries bordering the Mediterranean; current literature on reporting terrorism; news reports from both print and online media. The report looks at how the bias emerges in the coverage of two major stories that have dominated headlines in Europe over the recent years – terrorism and migration. The report examines also the internal and external pressures that influence how journalism works, in particular the structural and commercial changes that are reducing newsroom capacity as well as the growing and persistent threat of undue political influence." (Introduction)
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"Human trafficking, which is closely linked to slavery and forced labour, is a complex social problem that requires thoughtful, informed and, above all, compassionate journalism to provide context, give voice to the victims and assist in the search for solutions. Media and journalism should play a p
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ositive role in persuading the world that trafficking can be diminished if not eradicated. Political leaders and the public at large need to read, hear and see the full story. It is an essential first step in generating the political will needed to overcome the fundamental causes of human trafficking. The advice and suggestions set out in these pages can help journalists to think twice about how they report on trafficking; to consider the legal and human rights issues involved; the treatment of the victims, their privacy and welfare; and how to tell the story with humanity and style while helping audiences to understand better what must be done." (Introduction)
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"The present book was inspired by the results of an international KAS conference on the theme of war reporting in Sofia in 2015. Beyond existing recommendations of international organisations, it presents new trends in reporting of warfare and provides additional guidance from the point of view of o
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ur authors for secure, professional and ethical reporting from crisis regions." (Publisher description)
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"This report examines self-regulation in challenging times. Journalism is increasingly a single stream of information disseminated simultaneously across different platforms of media, but its regulation remains dominated by old-fashioned notions of how media work. Usually there are two ways of regula
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ting journalism at national level: a voluntary system for the press and legal controls over broadcasting. These structures were created for yesterday’s media landscape and are increasingly out of date. Today’s digital journalists work on video, print and audio simultaneously. That’s why it makes sense to have only one national regulator, and one that covers all platforms of journalism. Another testing issue is the question of funding. Ideally, journalists and media should pay the bills for press councils, but in these cash-strapped days can media continue to afford it? Increasingly, the answer is no. So who will pay in future? Perhaps we should think about using public funds, after all, independent regulation of media is a public interest activity. But if we use taxpayers’ money how do we ensure it won’t compromise editorial independence? Finally, as this report shows, making self-regulation work at enterprise level is perhaps what counts most. Building trust with the audience should be an issue in every newsroom and the growth in the number of in-house ombudsmen or readers’ editors is a welcome sign that more media are taking the issue seriously. However, in the face of editorial cuts some managements still question money being channelled into cleaning up the mistakes of the newsroom. But as this report illustrates, keeping journalism honest is money well spent for media and, for the public at large, it’s a good investment in democracy." (Introduction, page v)
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"We asked writers and researchers to examine the quality of coverage and to highlight reporting problems as well as good work. The conclusions from many different parts of the world are remarkably similar: journalism under pressure from a weakening media economy; political bias and opportunism that
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drives the news agenda; the dangers of hate-speech, stereotyping and social exclusion of refugees and migrants. But at the same time there have been inspiring examples of careful, sensitive and ethical journalism that have shown empathy for the victims. In most countries the story has been dominated by two themes – numbers and emotions. Most of the time coverage is politically led with media often following an agenda dominated by loose language and talk of invasion and swarms. At other moments the story has been laced with humanity, empathy and a focus on the suffering of those involved." (Introduction, page 5-6)
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"Is journalism under threat? The image of journalists, as helmeted war correspondents protected by bullet-proof vests and armed only with cameras and microphones, springs to mind. Physical threats are only the most visible dangers, however. Journalists and journalism itself are facing other threats
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such as censorship, political and economic pressure, intimidation, job insecurity and attacks on the protection of journalists’ sources. Social media and digital photography mean that anyone can now publish information, which is also upsetting the ethics of journalism. How can these threats be tackled? What is the role of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and national governments in protecting journalists and freedom of expression? In this book, 10 experts from different backgrounds analyse the situation from various angles. At a time when high-quality, independent journalism is more necessary than ever – and yet when the profession is facing many different challenges – they explore the issues surrounding the role of journalism in democratic societies." (Publisher description)
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"There are a multitude of UN legal instruments which pertain to the rights of freedom of expression and information, and this book is the first to comprehensively map them and their function. It details the chequered history of both rights within the UN system and evaluates the suitability of the sy
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stem for overcoming contemporary challenges and threats to the rights. Leading scholars address key issues, such as how the rights to freedom of expression and information can come into conflict with other human rights and with public policy goals, such as counter-terrorism. The book's institutional focus comprises five international treaties, UNESCO and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression." (Publisher description)
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"This handbook is an illustrated and easy-to-read guide and resource material for journalists. It evolved primarily out of a desire to equip all journalists with more information and understanding of gender issues in their work. It is addressed to media organisations, professional associations and j
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ournalists’ unions seeking to contribute to the goal of gender equality." (Website FAO-Dimitra, December 1, 2009)
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"The IFJ has campaigned for many years for greater safety and for a focus on the in-country journalists and freelances who are at greatest risk and who have the least protection. With the creation of the International News Safety Institute (see pages 103-105), that is beginning to happen. This book
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is part of the process. It takes the experience of those who have reported from and filmed in hostile zones and tries to draw lessons to save lives. But safety is not just an issue when bullets start flying. It is also about creating a culture of risk awareness in all aspects of journalism —whether in war zones, investigative reporting or reporting events from the streets. We have attempted to spotlight the needs of local journalists, but much of the available information comes from international correspondents, and from training courses set up for the giants of the electronic media. The IFJ will use this book to spread the message of safety, but we will also help our regional offices to produce local versions to draw out local experience. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst journalists who live and work on the front line of conflict and who have learned to survive while continuing to do their jobs. Those lessons and that knowledge need to be pooled and the courage and tenacity of those journalists needs to be honoured. This is a small step in that direction, and we dedicate this book to these true heroes of our profession." (Preface by Aidan White)
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"The critical issue is to raise awareness among journalists. There needs to be an awareness of child rights generally but as journalists we must also understand the consequences of our reporting. The way media portray children impacts not only on society’s attitude to children; it also influences
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the way adults behave. Sensational coverage of abuse and exploitation of children does not tell the full story and, by exploiting a serious problem, can do more harm than good. While sensationalism might catch the attention of the reader and viewer, we must ask ourselves: Does it provide useful information and analysis in a way that can contribute to improving the situation for children? So how do we raise awareness? To answer this we need to look at the way we work as journalists. The IFJ has been working with journalists around the world on the issue. This includes the development of the first international guidelines for journalists covering children’s rights, developed from the experience of journalists from over 50 countries and since endorsed at two world meetings of journalists held in Recife, Brazil, in 1998 and in Seoul, Korea in 2001. As well as commentary on the human rights of children and insights into the problem of child exploitation, this handbook looks at the principles behind journalist’s guidelines and provides practical advice on how to tackle the challenging job of reporting on child protection and child rights." (Foreword)
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"Des actions urgentes doivent être menées par la communauté internationale des journalistes pour diminuer l’ampleur de la crise à laquelle les journalistes de la région sont confrontés. La FIJ, en coopération avec d’autres agences non-gouvernementales et intergouvernementales, devrait met
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tre ce qui suit à exécution le plus rapidement possible :
1. Établir un Bureau pour la sécurité fournissant aux journalistes palestiniens du matériel et des possibilités de formation afin de diminuer les dangers auxquels le personnel des médias travaillant dans la région est confronté.
2. Fournir de l’aide humanitaire aux journalistes et au personnel des médias victimes de la violence en leur attribuant des ressources spécifiques en provenance du Fonds international pour la sécurité des journalistes.
3. Protester vigoureusement et mener campagne contre les tentatives de négation du statut professionnel des journalistes palestiniens et contre le retrait de la carte du GPO.Parallèlement, la FIJ doit insuffler une vigueur renouvelée au travail qu’elle accomplit en faveur de ses membres, tant en Israël qu’en Palestine. Les conditions auxquelles les journalistes palestiniens sont confrontés sont particulièrement difficiles et exigent une attention renforcée. La nature du journalisme dans la région a au-delà de la dimension politique de ses débuts. Aujourd’hui, les freelances et le personnel des médias du secteur privé représentent une part importante de la communauté palestinienne des journalistes et il faut faire davantage pour prendre pleinement leurs intérêts en compte. Par conséquent, la FIJ devrait :
4. Renforcer les efforts consentis par le Syndicat palestinien des journalistes pour améliorer son niveau de représentation et son action syndicale effective pour la défense des droits sociaux des journalistes dans les territoires palestiniens.
5. Soutenir des séminaires et des activités visant à encourager la solidarité professionnelle. Ce travail devrait être centré sur l’amélioration des conditions sociales et sur l’augmentation du nombre de membres du Syndicat par le biais, si cela s’avère nécessaire, d’une révision des statuts du Syndicat.
6. Prendre note du projet du Syndicat de créer un centre de journalisme à Ramallah, ouvert aux journalistes locaux et internationaux, et faire ce qui est en son pouvoir pour soutenir cette initiative.
7. Essayer le plus rapidement possible d’obtenir que la Fédération nationale des journalistes israéliens (NFIJ) s’engage à défendre, dans la région, les journalistes victimes de violence ou de violation de la liberté de la presse, quelle que soit leur nationalité [...] (Recommandations)
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