UK Journalism Codes of Ethics

Official text:“At all times upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of freedom of expression and the right of the public to be informed.”

In practice:This overarching principle establishes that journalists must champion the public’s right to know. It covers resisting censorship, defending editorial independence and pushing back against any attempt to suppress legitimate reporting.

Official text:“Strives to ensure that information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate and fair.”

In practice: Every story must be rigorously fact-checked before publication. This principle requires balanced reporting, giving all relevant sides a fair hearing, and never knowingly publishing false information.

Official text:“Does her/his utmost to correct harmful inaccuracies.”

In practice:When errors occur — and they inevitably will — you must correct them promptly and with appropriate prominence. This means not burying a correction in small print when the original error was a front-page splash. Many UK outlets now maintain dedicated corrections columns.

Official text:“Differentiates between fact and opinion.”

In practice:Readers must be able to tell when they are reading established facts versus the journalist’s or commentator’s personal view. This is especially important in the era of 24-hour news cycles and opinion-driven content online.

Official text:“Obtains material by honest, straightforward and open means, with the exception of investigations that are both overwhelmingly in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means.”

In practice:The default is always honest, open reporting — identifying yourself as a journalist, explaining what you’re working on. Subterfuge (hidden cameras, undercover work) is only justified when there is a strong public interest and no other way to get the evidence. Think Panorama-style investigations, not tabloid entrapment.

Official text:“Does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding considerations of the public interest.”

In practice: Privacy intrusion is one of the most common ethical flashpoints in UK journalism. The key test is always whether the public interest justifies the intrusion. Doorstepping a bereaved family for a quote, for example, requires careful ethical consideration.

Official text:“Protects the identity of sources who supply information in confidence and material gathered in the course of her/his work.”

In practice:This is one of the most fundamental principles in journalism. In the UK, source protection is also supported by Section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981. However, this is not absolute — courts can order disclosure in certain circumstances. Use encrypted communications (Signal, etc.) and be aware of metadata trails.

Official text:“Produces no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.”

In practice:Only mention personal characteristics when genuinely relevant to the story. Describing a suspect’s ethnicity in a crime report, for example, should only happen if it’s part of a police appeal for witnesses, not as editorial colour.

Official text:“Does not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of her/his own work or of the medium by which she/he is employed.”

In practice: This principle is about maintaining the integrity and independence of journalism. Endorsing products can create conflicts of interest and undermine public trust. In the age of social media influencers, the line between journalism and promotion must remain clear.

Official text:“Does not accept bribes nor allows other inducements to influence the performance of her/his professional duties.”

In practice: This covers everything from cash payments to lavish hospitality. In a UK context, this is particularly relevant for travel journalists, tech reviewers, and anyone offered freebies. Many UK outlets have policies requiring disclosure of any gifts or hospitality received.

Official text:“Does not plagiarise.”

In practice:You must not pass off others’ work as your own. With the rise of AI-generated content, this principle is more relevant than ever. Always attribute sources and credit original reporting, whether from other publications or wire services.

Official text:“Normally seeks the consent of an appropriate adult when interviewing or photographing a child for a story about her/his welfare.”

In practice:Children require additional protection. This aligns with IPSO’s specific clauses on children and with UK law regarding identification of minors in court proceedings. Always consider the welfare of any child affected by your reporting.

i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text.

ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and — where appropriate — an apology published. In cases involving IPSO, the publication should co-operate with the regulator’s resolution process.

iii) A fair opportunity to reply to significant inaccuracies should be given, when reasonably called for.

iv) The Press, while free to editorialise and campaign, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.

i) Everyone is entitled to respect for their private and family life, home, physical and mental health, and correspondence, including digital communications.

ii) Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual’s private life without consent. In considering an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy, account will be taken of the complainant’s own public disclosures of information and the extent to which the material complained about is already in the public domain or will become so.

iii) It is unacceptable to photograph individuals, without their consent, in public or private places where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

i) Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.

ii) They must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist; nor remain on property when asked to leave and must not follow them. If requested, they must identify themselves and whom they represent.

iii) Editors must ensure these principles are observed by those working for them and take care not to use non-compliant material from other sources.

In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled sensitively. These provisions should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings.

When reporting suicide, to prevent simulative acts care should be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used, while taking into account the media’s right to report legal proceedings. UK publications typically include Samaritans contact details (116 123) alongside such reports.

i) All pupils should be free to complete their time at school without unnecessary intrusion.

ii) A child under 16 must not be interviewed or photographed on issues involving their own or another child’s welfare unless a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult consents.

iii) Children must not be approached or photographed at school without permission of the school authorities.

iv) Minors must not be paid for material involving their welfare, nor parents or guardians for material about their children or wards, unless it is clearly in the child’s interest.

1. The press must not, even if legally free to do so, identify children under 16 who are victims or witnesses in cases involving sex offences.

2. In any press report of a case involving a sexual offence against a child — (i) The child must not be identified. (ii) The adult may be identified. (iii) The word “incest” must not be used where a child could be identified. (iv) Care must be taken that nothing in the report implies the relationship between the accused and the child.

i) Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue enquiries.

ii) The restrictions on intruding into privacy are particularly relevant in relation to enquiries about individuals in hospitals or similar institutions.

i) Relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime should not generally be identified without their consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.

ii) Particular regard should be paid to the potentially vulnerable position of children under 18 who witness, or are victims of, crime. This should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings.

i) The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents or photographs; or by accessing digitally-held information without consent.

ii) Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge, including by agents or intermediaries, can generally be justified only in the public interest and then only when the material cannot be obtained by other means.

The press must not identify or publish material likely to contribute to the identification of victims of sexual assault unless there is adequate justification and they are legally free to do so. This aligns with the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, which provides lifelong anonymity to victims.

i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual’s race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.

ii) Details of an individual’s race, colour, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness or disability must be avoided unless genuinely relevant to the story.

i) Even where the law does not prohibit it, journalists must not use for their own profit financial information they receive in advance of its general publication, nor should they pass such information to others.

ii) They must not write about shares or securities in whose performance they know that they or their close families have a significant financial interest without disclosing the interest to the editor or financial editor.

iii) They must not buy or sell, either directly or through nominees or agents, shares or securities about which they have written recently or about which they intend to write in the near future.

Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information. This clause works alongside UK law, particularly Section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the protections afforded under the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 10.

i) No payment or offer of payment to a witness of — or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness in — criminal proceedings should be made in any case once proceedings are active as defined by the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

ii) Where proceedings are not yet active but are likely and foreseeable, editors must not make or offer payment to any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness, unless the information involved ought demonstrably to be published in the public interest.

i) Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a particular crime or to glorify or glamorise crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their associates — who may include family, friends and colleagues.

ii) Editors invoking the public interest to justify payment or offers would need to demonstrate that there are good grounds to believe the public interest would be served. If, despite payment, no public interest emerged, then the material should not be published.