ETHICS
CODE OF ETHICS FOR NIGERIAN JOURNALISTS

PREAMBLE

Journalism entails a high degree of public trust. To earn and maintain this trust, it is morally imperative for every journalist and every news medium to observe the highest professional and ethical standards. In the exercise of these duties, a journalist should always have a healthy regard for the public interest.

Truth is the cornerstone of journalism and every journalist should strive diligently to ascertain the truth of every event.

Conscious of the responsibilities and duties of journalists as purveyors of information, we, Nigerian journalist, give to ourselves this Code of Ethics. It is the duty of every journalist to observe its provisions.



l. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

Decisions concerning the content of news should be the responsibility of a professional journalist.



[b]2. ACCURACY AND FAIRNESS

i. The public has a right to know. Factual, accurate balance and fair reporting is the ultimate objective of good journalism and the basis of earning public trust and confidence.



ii. A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. Where such information has been inadvertently
published, prompt correction should be made. A journalist must hold the right of reply as a cardinal rule of practice.



iii. In the course of his duties a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment.



3. PRIVACY

As a general rule, a journalist should respect the privacy of individuals and their families unless it affects public interest.



A. Information on the private life of an individual or his family should only be published if it impinges on public interest.

B. Publishing of such information about an individual as mentioned above should be deemed justifiable only if it is directed at:



i. Exposing crime or serious misdemeanor;

ii. Exposing anti-social conduct;

iii. Protecting public health, morality and safety;

iv. Preventing the public from being misled by some statement or action of the individual concerned.[/b]



4. PRIVILEGE / NON-DISCLOSURE

i. A journalist should observe the universally accepted principle of confidentiality and should not disclose the source of information obtained in confidence.



ii. A journalist should not breach an agreement with a source of information obtained as “off- the-record” or as “back ground information.



5. DECENCY

i. A journalist should dress and comport himself in a manner that conforms with public taste.



ii.A journalist should refrain from using offensive, abusive or vulgar language.



iii.A journalist should not present lurid details, either in words or picture, of violence, sexual acts, abhorrent or horrid scenes.



iv. In case involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches made with sympathy and discretion.



v. Unless it is in the furtherance of the public’s right to know, a journalist should generally avoid identifying relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime.



6. DISCRIMINATION

A journalist should refrain from making pejorative reference to a person’s ethnic group, religion, sex or to any physical or mental illness or handicap.



7. REWARDAND GRATIFICATION

i. A journalist should neither solicit nor accept bribe, gratification or patronage to suppress or publish information.

ii. To demand payment for the publication of news is inimical to the notion of news as a fair, accurate, unbiased and factual report of an event.



8. VIOLENCE

A journalist should not present or report acts of violence, armed robberies, terrorist activities or vulgar display of wealth in a manner that glorifies such acts in the eyes of the public.



9. CHILDRENANDMINORS

A journalist should not identify, either by name or picture, or interview children under the age of 16 who are involved in cases concerning sexual offences, crimes and rituals or witchcraft either as victims, witnesses or defendants.



10. ACCESS TO INFORMATION

A journalist should strive to employ open and honest means in the gathering of information. Exceptional methods may be employed only when the public interest is at stake.



11. PUBLIC INTEREST

A journalist should strive to enhance national unity and public good.



12. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

A journalist should promote universal principles of human rights, democracy, justice, equity, peace and international understanding.



13. PLAGIARISM

A journalist should not copy, wholesale or in part, other people’s work without attribution and/or consent.



14. COPYRIGHT

i. Where a journalist reproduces a work, be it in print, broadcast, art work or design, proper acknowledgement should be accorded the author.



ii. A journalist should abide by all rules of copyright, established by national and international laws and conventions.



15. PRESS FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

A journalist should strive at all-times to enhance press freedom and responsibility.

http://www.presscouncil.gov.ng/?page_id=281

AIT breached all the ethics in red bolded fonts. Buhari is on course....

From airing in accurate informations and attaxking his late wife and child to 8billion naria collected by Dopkesi.

I hope he also revokes their licence after he has been sworn in as it is a part of his constitutional duties and not a dictatorial one.

If you feel they breached it the appropriate thing to do is to report them to their regulatory agency or GO TO COURT! You can't take laws into your hands

barcanista:
If you feel they breached it the appropriate thing to do is to report them to their regulatory agency or GO TO COURT! You can't take laws into your hands

Can you point out in where in the Nigerian Constitution barring AIT from covering your personal life equates taking law into your hands?

Make una let person hear word.

AIT and BUHARI issue don tire person.

barcanista:
If you feel they breached it the appropriate thing to do is to report them to their regulatory agency or GO TO COURT! You can't take laws into your hands

Says Who?? You? Oh please come off it Abeg!! Why are you been Biased??

Advice this foolish general to head to court n stop displaying his despotic n hawkish nature in the public! Nigerians don enter "onechance" with this man GEJ my HERO! FAYOSE my ROLE MODEL!!

GMB has all the rights in the world to bar AIT from his activities.

AIT, a totally unprofessional media house.

lalasticlala seun BAHARI HAS THE RIGHT TO BARR AIT.

I don't understand the fuss about what Buhari did....



he hasn't ban them from reporting anything that pertain to him.... but he bar them from his news conference and appearances until they settle the rift btw them.



so if AIT feels insulted..... they should go to court and spare us all this jargons....
at least they have infringe and break the code of ethics

koboko69:
AIT breached all the ethics in red bolded fonts. Buhari is on course....

From airing in accurate informations and attaxking his late wife and child to 8billion naria collected by Dopkesi.

I hope he also revokes their licence after he has been sworn in as it is a part of his constitutional duties and not a dictatorial one.

Buhari isn't the one to determine if AIT breached any code.
All the ''informations'' aired in that documentary are accurate.
No one attacked his wife or late child, rather they released information on them that affects public interest. Their reasons for releasing information about his family could fall under any of the I - IV subsections under part B of privacy.
AIT did not breach any code.

barcanista:
If you feel they breached it the appropriate thing to do is to report them to their regulatory agency or GO TO COURT! You can't take laws into your hands

And what laws has GMB taken into his hands?

The last time I checked, it's not a breach of any law to say "AIT, I don't want you to cover my activities".

Nonsense.
Did GEJ ban daily trust and the Nation newspapers from Aso Rock when they were reporting hate and lies.
Daily trust Editorial board even forged a presidential directive just to embarass GEJ and make him look bad
What Gej did was to take the dailytrust reporters to court and he later withdrew the suit.
Buhari should not set in motion what is going to swallow him and his incoming administration up.
He has started already overheating the polity.

PassingShot:


And what laws has GMB taken into his hands?

The last time I checked, it's not a breach of any law to say "AIT, I don't want you to cover my activities".

WORD

pistol:
Nonsense.
Did GEJ ban daily trust and the Nation newspaperss when they were reporting hate and lies.
What Gej did was to take the dailytrust reporters to court and he later withdrew the suit.
Buhari should not set in motion what is going to swallow him and his incoming administration up.
He has started already overheating the polity.

shut up. There is a different between hate campaign and putting the government on its toes. Nothing will swallow Buhari up...AIT will rather be swallowed. As much as Sahara reporters were doing their constitutional duty..they did not go out of the line the way AIT did

I stopped watching AIT two weeks to the election. So it still exist wow

Ethics and professionalism in Nigeria journalism


















http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/ethics-and-professionalism-in-nigeria-journalism/

Ethics and professionalism in Nigeria journalism
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/ethics-and-professionalism-in-nigeria-journalism/

Ethics and professionalism in Nigeria journalism
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/ethics-and-professionalism-in-nigeria-journalism/

Ethics and professionalism in Nigeria journalism
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/ethics-and-professionalism-in-nigeria-journalism/

The role of Nigeria union of journalism in checkmating the unprofessionalism attitude of journalistshttp://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/the-role-of-nigeria-union-of-journalism-in-checkmating-the-unprofessionalism-attitude-of-journalists/

The role of Nigeria union of journalism in checkmating the unprofessionalism attitude of journalists
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/mass-communication/the-role-of-nigeria-union-of-journalism-in-checkmating-the-unprofessionalism-attitude-of-journalists/