PREAMBLE
Freedom of the media is an inviolable right. The mission of journalism is founded on the right of every person to have access to information and ideas, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Journalists have the task and obligation to respect the truth and the right of the public to be timely and accurately informed. A journalist’s responsibility to the public takes precedence over obligations to employers or any government.
Journalists protect public interest. Public interest is the publication of all information that will help citizens form an opinion and take a stance on events and phenomena in society, especially when they relate to safety, health, public accountability, the exercise of public functions and rights protection. Journalists should make a distinction between the public interest and the interest of the public.
Journalists commit to respecting human rights, ethical and professional standards, including:
- independent information gathering and sharing;
- truthful and accurate communication of information;
- fairness and balance;
- the right to commentary as a journalism genre;
Journalists perform a public service. They understand the need for responsible behavior and shall foster speech culture and ethics.
Journalists shall defend human rights, the dignity and freedom of citizens, respect the pluralism of ideas and contribute to the advancement of democracy, the rule of law and public accountability.
Journalists shall show mutual solidarity towards colleagues who adhere to the provisions of this Code, as well as other documents that incorporate professional and ethical standards. Journalists shall not use the media to settle scores with colleagues.
This Code applies to all forms of journalistic expression, regardless of the media outlet or the technological platform.
BASED ON THESE PRINCIPLES AND ETHICAL VALUES:
1. Journalists have the right to free access and responsible use of all sources of information of public interest. Journalists shall publish accurate and verified information, shall not conceal essential data nor falsify documents. Concealing facts is tantamount to deliberately distorting them.
2. Journalists shall verify the accuracy of information to the extent possible, and shall do so using sources that are not interrelated. Journalists shall name the source of the information, and if the source requests to remain anonymous, they shall protect it. If the information comes from one source, if it cannot be confirmed, or if it is an assumption, that shall be clearly stated.
3.Plagiarism, falsification and/or manipulation of content are contrary to journalistic ethics and are unacceptable
4. Journalists have an obligation to ensure fair and timely publication of a refutation or correction that may significantly affect the published content, i.e., whenever it comes to presented facts that are clearly incorrect.
5. Journalists are obligated to clearly and promptly indicate any changes to already published content. Corrections shall be easily visible and directly related to the underlying information.
6. Journalists shall distinguish between facts and opinions, between news and commentary. The headline and visualization should reflect the content of the journalistic product.
7. Journalists must not abuse their professional position for personal gain. Gifts, services, monetary compensation, travel, privileges, employment or any other benefits that may affect their independence or create a perception of bias are unacceptable. Influence peddling, corruption, extortion and conflict of interest are contrary to journalistic ethics. In the event of a potential conflict of interest, journalists have the obligation to be transparent to the public.
8. Journalistic content must be clearly distinguished from advertising or sponsored content, so that the public is not misled.
9. Journalists shall respect the privacy of the person, except when it is in the public interest.
10. Reporting on accidents, tragedies, wars, illnesses, personal suffering and other sensitive topics must be free from sensationalism. Journalists shall inform with empathy and respect for the dignity of those affected.
11. Reporting suicides and suicide attempts must not lead to detailed descriptions and sharing of explicit photos and videos.
12. Journalists are obliged to respect the rights, dignity and best interests of children, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups of citizens. Children and persons with limited reasoning ability may not be interviewed, photographed, recorded, and content related to them may not be published without the consent of a parent/guardian, except when it does not cause harm and is in the public interest.
13. When reporting on criminal acts and court proceedings, journalists shall respect the presumption of innocence and shall not declare anyone guilty before the court has done so.
14. Journalists shall not create or edit content that puts human rights and freedoms at risk. They shall not use hate speech, nor incite violence or discrimination on any basis.
15. Journalists shall report impartially on political issues, including elections, which entails more than merely maintaining the appearance of balance; it requires the fair presentation of relevant facts and viewpoints. Journalists must not use their profession for personal political promotion, for the promotion of political or business elites, or participate in activities that may place them in a direct conflict of interest. Any form of political advertising or sponsored content must be clearly labeled as such.
16. Journalistic content created using artificial intelligence must be clearly identified as such. Journalists remain fully responsible for the accuracy of the information and the integrity of the media product. The use of artificial intelligence for the purposes of creating or disseminating false, manipulative, or substantially altered content that may mislead the public is unacceptable. The journalistic product must not consist entirely of content generated by artificial intelligence.
17. The publication of journalistic content obtained through covert recording is not permitted unless the information cannot be obtained by other means and its publication is in the public interest.
18. Journalists have the right to decline a work assignment if it is contrary to the principles of this Code.
FINAL PROVISIONS:
Journalists who work in accordance with this Code are entitled to the support of their media outlet and their professional organization.
Journalism and media self-regulatory bodies ensure compliance with the provisions of the Code.