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The MHM media ethics section is an introduction to some of the issues that confront journalists as they go about their work. It’s for journalists who want to provide responsible, issue-led journalism that informs the public debate so that the audience/users/readers can make educated choices.
The modules are based on a desire to deliver editorial excellence that reaches the whole audience regardless of race, religion, nationality, personal preferences and social status, with balanced, impartial, fair, accurate and objective information.
The creation of this section of MHM follows a growing demand for training modules that help journalist cope with the editorial and ethical issues surrounding newsgathering and news delivery.
Many people have written editorial guidelines and a search of the web will throw up dozens of variations. We have chosen to base the MHM guidelines on the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines.
This is mainly because the two founders of MHM have a total of more than 50 years experience working with the BBC and have trained thousands of journalists in how to apply them.
However, the MHM guidelines are significantly different. As they are used in training courses in various parts of the world, they are adapted and rewritten to reflect regional issues and sensitivities.
It is also worth visiting the excellent collection of links to editorial ethics on the International Journalist's Network codes of ethics page. Here you can search by country and region.
The issue in all cases is to deliver editorial excellence based on a clearly defined ethical code of practice that balances the rights to freedom of expression with responsibility.
The modules in this section cover:
- Accuracy: Well-sourced information based on solid evidence
- Impartiality: Fair and open-minded coverage exploring all significant views
- Fairness: Transparent, open, honest and fair coverage based on straight dealing
- Privacy: To be respected and not invaded unless it is in the public interest
- Offence: Delivering challenging journalism that is sensitive to audience expectations
- Integrity: Dealing with groups keen to use the media for their own advantage
- Interactivity: Engaging the audience in order to ensure we reflect public opinion
- Legal: Avoiding the courts while continuing to inform the public debate
If you would like to contribute a module, or improve an existing module, please use the contact us form at the foot of any page to let us know.
This site has used the BBC's Editorial Guidelines as the basis for these short modules on values and ethics. We sought and were given permission to quote from the guidelines and to develop the themes to the extent that they are no longer an accurate reflection of the BBC's stance. These guidelines contain a mix of regional experiences and sensitivites which have been used to develop the guidelines and give them local relevance. These pages are not endorsed by the BBC. MHM would like to thank the BBC for allowing us to use its material.
  The author of this piece, David Brewer, is a journalist and media strategy consultant who set up and runs this site, Media Helping Media. He delivers media strategy training and consultancy services worldwide. His business details are at Media Ideas International Ltd. He tweets @helpingmedia.
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