Codes of conduct for journalists

1. Codes of conduct for journalists Ethical Issues in Journalism and the Media Andrew Belsey and Ruth Chadwick Chapter 5, page 62.

2. What is it? • A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of, or proper practices for, an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical, honour and moral codes, as well as halachic and religious laws. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_conduct

3. Read from chapter 5, by Nigel G.E. Harris, 1992 • In Britain, more than 350 occupational organisations have their own codes of conduct (1992). • Journalism was one of the first professions to have such codes, and is still a source of new ones.

4. If a country has one or more codes of conduct for journalists, their general purpose will have been determined to a great extent by the systems of regulation in that country.

5. The Calcutt reporthttp://www.pcc.org.uk/about/history.html • The press in the UK has been subject to self-regulation for over 60 years. • This began with a voluntary Press Council in 1953. Their aims were to maintain high ethical standards of journalism and to promote press freedom. • During the 1980s, this regulation was not being carried out by a small number of publications. The government decided that the Press Council was not sufficient and therefore did enact a law of privacy and right of reply, and also set up a statutory press council wielding enforceable legal sanctions. • A departmental committee was appointed under David Calcutt QC. He had to “to consider what measures (whether legislative or otherwise) are needed to give further protection to individual privacy from the activities of the press and improve recourse against the press for the individual citizen”. • Calcutt’s report was published in June 1990. • It recommended the setting up of a new Press Complaints Commission in place of the Press Council. This was set up at the beginning of 1991.

6. The NUJ • The National Union of Journalists, or NUJ, was founded in 1907 and has set out the main principles of UK and Irish journalism since 1936. • It is used to represent a large range of professions in the media. • “We strive to improve the pay and conditions of our members and protect and promote media freedom, professionalism and ethical standards.” http://www.nuj.org.uk/about/

7. Who does a code benefit? • The public benefits from the codes of conduct for journalists. • Law of privacy- some people ask for their identity not to be disclosed. • Codes against harassment and intrusion. • Some clauses state that reports are required to be accurate and truthful. • These codes lead to a higher standard of journalism.