Always Fair, Always Accurate

Who, what, when, where and why – ensure all those points are 100% accurate.

Always confirm and consolidate your sources

Never publish a statement, claim or allegation without confirming the validity thereof. 95% sure is not good enough. You need to investigate sources, phone spokespeople and, in some cases, get out from behind your screen and do face-to-face visits. “Fact” is more important than “first”.
Note: We are not a court of law and do not have the right to refer to suspects as “criminals‟ (or any variant of the term) before judgment has been handed down. (More in media law below)

No race-baiting or wedge-driving

We handle issues of race, gender and cultural differences very carefully.  However, it’s a balancing act between stimulating important debate and being a voice of reason in and amongst the storm.
We understand that not all news is good news – but that’s still news we need to tell – make sure that how you tell it does not cause more harm, division or conflict.  
As a rule of thumb, consult your editor-on-duty before leading with race (black, white, etc) in your headline or if you’re unsure about how to unpack a sensitive topic.
We are not here to add fuel to the fire – especially when it concerns issues of race, gender or culture. Rather, South Africa’s vision is to see a united, prosperous and progressive nation that embraces cultural differences and finds strength in diversity. Ours is a humanist approach – to defeat ignorance in all its forms.

Fact versus opinion

You are allowed to advocate your views on controversial topics, provided that you treat your  subject(s) fairly by:
● Making fact and opinion distinguishable
● Not misrepresenting or suppressing relevant facts
● Not distorting the facts.

Violence, Graphic Content

Take the utmost care when reporting on particularly violent incidents, especially if the copy is accompanied by video/photo.
Content which depicts violent crime or explicit sex and nudity should be avoided unless the public interest very clearly dictates otherwise, in which case a prominent indication and warning must be displayed indicating that such content is graphic and inappropriate for audiences such as children. Any accompanying image or video must be adequately blurred.
See more details in later modules