The Forum for European Journalism Students adopts the following Code of Ethics as a basis for the conduct of its members. It is valid for work in print, television, radio and online media.

Truthfulness

I. Be truthful, accurate and fair.

Strive for comprehensive and unbiased news coverage.

Do not conceal or distort any facts.

II. (Double)-Check facts and sources.

Correct mistakes or inaccuracies in an adequate manner.

III. Be straightforward towards the reader/viewer/listener/user.

Separate facts from comments.

Make sure headlines, subheadlines, pictures etc. correspond with the text.

IV. Defend freedom of speech and fight any kind of censorship.

Protection of the Rights of Others

V. Respect the right to privacy.

Each individual’s life, including all kinds of correspondence, is protected from intrusion by the media. Privacy is not necessarily limited to one’s private property.

Infringement of this rule can be justified by a clear public interest.

VI. Refrain from any kind of discrimination.

Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation, gender, social class, political opinion etc. is not tolerated.

Only mention the details above when they are of importance for your story or if you have the consent of the person concerned.

VII. Do not insult individuals or groups.

Refrain from slander and libel.

VIII. Presume innocent whoever has not been found guilty by a court of law.

IX. Show special consideration for victims of crime, accidents or catastrophes.

Avoid publishing names or other material that might allow others to identify victims.

Sources

X. Gather material by honest means.

Disclose your identity as a journalist. Do not pay for information.

Infringement of this rule can be justified by a clear public interest.

XI. Be reliable.

You may never, not even in court, reveal the identity of a source whom you have promised confidentiality.

XII. Do not abuse an individual’s inexperience with the mass media.

Journalistic Integrity and Behaviour

XIII. Remain independent.

Do not accept bribes or gifts in any form. Do not misuse your position as a journalist for personal benefit.

Do not work for any non-journalistic company or institution about which you are reporting.

XIV. Show solidarity with other journalists.

Stick to the rules of fair competition and cooperate when it is possible.

Help younger or less experienced colleagues improve their skills.

XV. Respect copyright and citation rules.

Violence

XVI. Do not glorify violence.

Make sure you do not inspire or intensify acts of violence by your presence.

The rules stated above constitute a minimum of professional ethics for every FEJS member.

If journalists in your country have adopted stricter or additional rules, follow them. They are the ones that people expect from the media. If you are reporting from a foreign country, get informed about the rules of journalistic conduct in the particular country and consider applying them as well.

If you are directing the work of other journalists, make sure they have the freedom to follow the rules stated above.

If you are interested in having the abstract (english) and/or the full text (german), please send an email to: secretariat@fejs.org