Do’s and Don’ts for Citizen Journalists
Do’s
- Check Your Information: Always fact-check the accuracy of your content before sharing or publishing otherwise you have unwittingly excluded yourself as a bonafide messenger of news and information. Use reliable sources and avoid spreading unverified claims.
- Be Transparent: reveal who you are to establish your credibility in the minds of your audience, affiliations, and motivations to build trust with your audience.
- Stick To Ethical Standards: this will help you observe the principles of honesty, fairness, objectivity and respect for privacy. Filter out bias and sensationalism.
- Provide Context: provide adequate background information to help your audience understand the story, its clear meaning and implications.
- Use Reliable Tools: you should try to deploy effective tools and platforms for gathering, analysing, and disseminating information.
- Respect Privacy: refrain from sharing personal or sensitive information which can be harmful to individuals or communities.
- Create and Distribute Information Accountability: Encourage healthy discussions and interactions to boost a respectful and constructive dialogue.
- Learn Media Literacy: learn critical media literacy and develop critical thinking to improve journalistic practices. Follow media ethics, and the legal landscape to enhance the quality of your work.
- Collaborate: develop a partnership with professional journalists or organisations to amplify credible stories and gain valuable insights.
- Correct Errors: If you publish incorrect information, promptly issue corrections or retractions and explain the mistake.
Don’ts
- Don’t Be A Peddler of Disinformation or Misinformation: Do not share content based on rumors, assumptions, or unverified data.
- Don’t Compromise Safety: Refrain from putting yourself or others in danger while gathering or reporting news.
- Avoid Plagiarising: Always credit your sources and avoid copying content without proper attribution.
- Don’t Be Partial: Steer clear of personal agendas, political biases, or inflammatory language that could distort the story.
- Don’t Exploit Tragedies: Do not use graphic or sensitive imagery in ways that sensationalise or disrespect those involved.
- Own Up and Be Accountable: Be ready to justify your content, while taking responsibility for its impact.
- Don’t Break The Law: Observe local and international laws, including defamation, copyright, and privacy regulations.
- Don’t Overreach: Accept your limitations as a citizen journalist and avoid presenting speculation as fact.
- Don’t Ignore Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural nuances and avoid content that could offend or marginalise communities.
- Don’t Compromise Accuracy for Speed: Prioritise the truth over being the first to report a story.
Traditional Types of Ethics in Journalism
- Truthfulness and Accuracy:Reporting verified, factual information without distortion or misrepresentation. Commitment to objectivity and avoiding biases.
- Independence: Avoiding conflicts of interest to ensure impartial reporting. Freedom from undue influence by advertisers, governments, or other entities.
- Accountability: Taking responsibility for mistakes and issuing corrections transparently. Ethical responsibility towards the public for the consequences of reporting pays dividends.
- Fairness and Impartiality:Providing balanced perspectives, avoiding favoritism or unfair coverage. Giving all sides of an issue a fair hearing should be normalised.
- Humanity: Avoiding harm to individuals through sensitive reporting.
Respect for privacy and dignity, especially in cases involving victims.
- Transparency; Disclosing sources and methodologies, except when it compromises safety or confidentiality. Revealing potential biases or affiliations that could influence reporting.
Emerging Ethics in the Digital Era: Combating Misinformation and Disinformation.Distinguishing between credible sources and false information.. Verifying facts in an environment flooded with unverified content.
Algorithmic Transparency:Understanding and addressing biases in AI-driven news recommendations. Avoiding manipulation of search results and news feeds.
Data Privacy and Protection: Handling user data responsibly in investigative journalism. Respecting the digital footprint of individuals and their right to privacy.
Epistemic Security: Promoting the integrity of knowledge systems and defending against epistemic harm. Addressing challenges like deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation.
Cultural Sensitivity in a Global Context: Considering global audiences when reporting on culturally sensitive issues. Avoiding ethnocentric perspectives in digital journalism.
Engagement and Moderation Ethics
Managing comments and user-generated content ethically. Avoiding incitement to hate speech or violence in interactive platforms.
Ethics in Citizen Journalism
Educating citizen journalists on basic ethical principles. Ensuring their contributions meet journalistic standards in the digital space.
Sustainability in Journalism: Balancing commercial interests with journalistic integrity in an ad-driven digital economy. Avoiding clickbait and sensationalism for financial gain. [NEXT – Ethics to Develop for the Post-Truth Era]