UNDER THE THEME:

All individuals, including those in the public eye, have the right to see their privacy, dignity and reputation respected. In addition, citizens have a right to be informed about matters of public interest and the press has the duty to inform them.

When the private life of an individual is caught up in an issue or event, the press must weigh the demands of the public interest against the individual right to privacy.

Personal tragedies are especially delicate matters for press coverage. Such situations entail suffering for the people involved and those close to them. Freedom of the press and the public right to know would be compromised, however, if the media ceased to report on such tragedies, as these often highlight problems worthy of public attention.

In their coverage of such stories, the media and journalists should resist pandering to mere curiosity and publish only that which is in the public interest.

At all stages of research and reporting, the media and journalists must demonstrate caution and good judgment. In carrying out their duty to inform the public, they should keep in mind the distinction between matters of public interest and matters that are merely of public curiosity.

In such situations, sensationalism must be scrupulously avoided, and the space or extent of coverage must be proportional to the public-interest element of the story. Sensational, spectacular and morbid elements of a story should not be emphasized.

The press should accord the victims of such events the respect they deserve by avoiding mention of details that may be painful for the victims and their families but that have no direct bearing on the incident being reported. Details that are intended to pander to prurient interests have no place in news reports and cause needless suffering to victims, their families and friends. To cater to prurient interest is to exploit the misfortune of others. Such transgressions would include


the publication of images or information, permission for which had been granted by victims or their families in the heat of the moment. The decision to publish should be ethically, not opportunistically, based.

The identification of victims of assault, accident or suicide, or the identification of their families, is a particularly thorny issue for journalists. The same ethical principle obtains: publish names only when it is manifestly certain that such publication is in the public interest.

Journalists must refrain from using techniques that betray the trust of their sources, such as recording a person’s comments for broadcast without his or her knowledge of it, or not telling an interviewee that he or she is on the air. Journalists must also avoid trespassing or invasions of privacy. These are matters of both professional and personal integrity.

For more information, see section entitled Publications – Statements and Memorandas.