Rules of the Road of Ethical Journalism - Guide

Published by Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR), this booklet outlines ethical guidelines for journalists. According to the publication, "democracy and the rule of law depend on a free and independent press that can help citizens hold public officials and institutions in check. Central to this essential role is trust that journalists and news organisations tell the truth fairly and impartially, and that they adhere to the highest standards of ethics and independence."
The guide covers following topics:

• Honesty and fairness - This involves, for example, offering all parties to a conflict or dispute, including unofficial sources and people on the ground, the chance to have their say and presenting their views objectively. Ethical reporters and editors do not skew comments to advance a particular point of view or agenda or withhold relevant information in order to bolster or undermine a given point of view. They should not manipulate photos or documents, and they must credit other publications and writers and strive to insure the authenticity of sources and information obtained.
• Conflicts of interest - Suggestions include, among others: refrain from joining advocacy or other organisations whose stances could compromise the journalist's independence and refusing to accept bribes, tips, advantages, or gifts from sources or subjects of stories. Reporters must disclose to the public the sources of their information, so consumers of news can assess its reliability and veracity. They should disclose any relevant ties and/or financial interests of sources to the subject of the story, which could influence a reader's assessment of the information provided.
• The credible source - There are obvious red flags, such as a source who has lied or withheld relevant information in the past, meaning they are high risk. Similarly, caution is called for if the source has a criminal background or if a person cannot explain how he or she came by documents and/or information. Reporters should go over information provided many times and ask sources the same questions in different ways, listening for contradictions in the story.
• Protecting sources - It is noted that "[t]he use of anonymous sources places an extra burden on the reporter to independently corroborate the information provided and the authenticity of documents and other evidence received. Sources who speak on a confidential basis are placing the utmost trust in a journalist, and their identities must be protected, unless doing so would result in the commission of a crime, injury or death." If there are limits on what a journalist is willing to do to protect a source and/or if a reporter is required to divulge the source's identity to an editor, the reporter must notify the source before receiving information.