Section 7
Ethics
Journalism carries responsibilities as well as freedoms
GSR’s responsibility to report matters of legitimate public interest must be balanced against accuracy, fairness, human dignity, privacy, safety and the potential consequences of publication.
Fairness and right of response
Persons and organisations facing serious allegations should ordinarily be given a reasonable opportunity to respond where circumstances permit.
Their refusal to respond does not give GSR permission to speculate about the reason for that refusal.
Where a response is received, it should be represented fairly.
Presumption of innocence
A person accused, charged or prosecuted for an offence is not to be described as guilty unless guilt has been established according to law.
GSR distinguishes arrest, accusation, charge, trial, conviction and final judicial determination.
Privacy
Public interest is not identical to public curiosity.
GSR should consider whether intrusion into an individual’s private life is justified by a legitimate journalistic purpose.
Public figures are appropriately subject to greater scrutiny concerning matters relevant to public responsibilities, but they do not thereby lose all rights to privacy.
Children and vulnerable persons
Particular care should be exercised when reporting about children, victims of sexual offences, vulnerable persons, bereaved families and people experiencing severe trauma.
Identification should be considered in light of legal requirements, public interest and potential harm.
Death, violence and graphic material
GSR may report disturbing events where necessary for public understanding.
Graphic material should not be used gratuitously or principally for shock value. Where highly disturbing material is editorially necessary, an appropriate warning should normally be provided.
Discrimination
Race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, disability and other personal characteristics should not be emphasised unless genuinely relevant to the story.
GSR will not knowingly publish material whose journalistic purpose is to incite hatred or dehumanise persons or communities.
Interviews
Interviews should be conducted fairly.
Editing must not deliberately distort a participant’s meaning.
Pre-submitted questions do not prevent GSR from asking reasonable follow-up questions unless a different arrangement has expressly been agreed.
Live journalism
Live broadcasting creates particular risks because information may reach audiences before conventional post-production review.
GSR presenters and correspondents should distinguish verified information from developing claims during live coverage and correct significant errors as soon as they become apparent.
Independent contributors and field correspondents
Journalists, photographers, videographers and independent field correspondents contributing to GSR are expected to comply with these Editorial Standards when gathering material for GSR.
Material must be obtained lawfully and ethically.
Staging events, fabricating scenes, manipulating evidence or knowingly misrepresenting the circumstances in which material was obtained is incompatible with GSR journalism.
Public Affairs Forum and audience contributions
GSR supports vigorous public discussion.
Opinion, disagreement and criticism are welcome. Threats, unlawful content, deliberate impersonation, targeted harassment and knowingly fabricated factual claims may be moderated or removed in accordance with GSR’s applicable community rules.
Publication of an audience contribution does not constitute GSR’s endorsement of the contributor’s views.