Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Right to information, freedom of expression and criticism is one of the basic rights of every human being, regardless of his sex, race, nationality, religion and political alignment. From that right of the public to know facts and opinions, originates the entirety of obligations and rights of the journalist.

In their practice, journalists are obligatory to defend human rights, dignity and freedom, to respect pluralism of ideas and attitudes, to contribute to strengthening of legal state and, as democratic part of the general public, to participate in the control of the activity of authorities and politics.

Journalists observe the Constitution and the positive legislation of the Republic of Croatia, Statutes and documents of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Council of Europe on freedom of expression and information and on human rights.

Journalists care for culture and ethics of public expression and respect achievements and values of prosperous civilization.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES

1. In performing his duty and activities, journalist must respect general principles and ethics of his profession. Starting from the principle that the media in democratic society are free, independent, investigative and open to different opinions, journalist is responsible for his work to the general public, law and to his professional organization.

2. By expressing independent and critical opinion in search of the truth as the basic principle of his professional duty, journalist participates actively in creating public opinion and collective judgment about matters or general interest.

3. Journalist, as any other citizen, has the right to political or other attitude and commitment. In his work he keeps professional distance from actual events, what is one of the conditions for objective, professional reporting about events.

4. Journalist is obligatory to express truthful, balanced and checked up information. He identifies persons or institutions, sources of his information and statement. He has right not to reveal his source of information, but he assumes moral, material and penal responsibility for the published fact.

5. Journalist has right of access to all the sources of information and the right of free investigation of all the facts which create public life. If unjustly denied access to demanded information, journalist has the right to inform general public about it.

6. Journalist shall respect legal obligation of keeping state secret. Journalist respects embargo on publishing an information. If he estimates that those limitations are misused for restricting access to information, journalist warns competent authorities about it and demands their explanation for the general public.

7. In reporting and particularly in commentaries and polemical texts, journalist is obligatory to respect the ethics of public expression and the culture of dialogue, and to respect dignity and integrity of the person he polemizes with.

8. The work of journalist is subdued to criticism by the general public. Obligation of journalists and editors is to refer with care to all the proposals, recommendations, remarks and criticism addressed to them, and to inform general public about it occasionally.

9. Right and duty of journalist is to advocate for the free flow of information.

10. Journalist respects authorship of other journalists and other subjects in public communication. He mentions names of authors whose materials he uses in his texts.

11. Abbreviated or modified materials - texts, changing basic meaning of the text can be published only at author's approval. In case of disagreement the author has the right to withdraw his material and to deny his signature.

12. Anonymous text and the one signed with pseudonym are considered editorial texts.

13. Plagiarism is incompatible with journalists' Code of Ethics.

14. Journalist shall use only fair methods to obtain news, photographs and documents. He shall not use unfair or illegal means.

15. Member of Journalists' Association has the right to refuse professional assignment if it is contrary to his Code of Ethics, Statutes of the Journalists' Association or professional and ethical standards of the profession.

16. Journalist is to protect man's private life from unjustified or sensational exposure to the public. Special care and responsibility is needed in reporting about accidents, family tragedies, diseases, children and the minors, court proceedings, where the journalist must respect presumed innocence, integrity, dignity and feelings of all the persons involved. In political confrontations journalist is to respect civil rights and freedoms of the participants, and make efforts to remain impartial.

17. Journalist must not be involved in activities threatening his independence of judgment which would limit his objectivity in publishing true facts and undermine his journalistic dignity. Journalist must not publish information in order to get some personal material benefit (bribe, corruption etc). Journalist must not be the author of paid advertisement and other advertising material.

18. Journalist and Journalists' Association protect respectability, dignity and integrity of their profession, co-operate and care for correct and friendly and fair relations and professional solidarity.

Journalist acting in accordance with this Code of Ethics has the support of his employer/ editor, his professional organization and his trade union. The Statutes of the Croatian Journalists' Association defines sanctions for violation of this Code.

Editorial regulations imply responsibility regarding obeying of this Code of Ethics by those journalists, also, who are not the members of the Croatian Journalists' Association, and by all the authors or editors of published text without regard to their status - full time employees, free lancers or periodical author.

Implementation and protection of the Code of Ethics is under competence of Journalists' Ethics Council of the Croatian Journalists' Association.