HKJA Code of Ethics

1. A journalist has a duty to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards.

2. A journalist shall at all times defend the principles of freedom of the press and other media in relation to the collection of information and the expression of comment and criticism. He/She shall strive to eliminate distortion, news suppression and censorship.

3. A journalist shall strive to ensure that the information which he/she disseminates is fair and accurate, avoid the expression of comment and conjecture as established fact and falsification by distortion, suppression of misinformation.

4. A journalist shall rectify promptly any harmful inaccuracies, ensure that correction and apologies receive due prominence and afford the right of reply to persons criticised when the issue is of sufficient importance.

5. A journalist shall obtain information, photographs and illustrations only by straight forward means. The use of other means can be justified only by over- riding considerations of public interest. The journalist is entitled to exercise a personal conscientious objection to the use of such means.

6. Subject to justification by over-riding reasons of public interest, a journalist shall do nothing which entails intrusion into private grief and distress.

7. A journalist shall protect confidential sources of information.

8. A journalist shall not accept bribes or shall he/she allow other inducements to influence the performance of his/her professional duties.

9. A journalist shall not lend himself/herself to the distortion or suppression of the truth because of advertising or other considerations.

10. A journalist shall not originate material which encourages discrimination on grounds of race, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

11. A journalist shall not take private advantage of information gained in the course of his/her duties, before the information is public knowledge.

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