Respect for the truth and meeting the public’s need for information are fundamental principles of journalism. Journalists have a responsibility to society, regardless of the media outlet for which they work.
The media outlet is guided by the following principles:
– The editorial team must uphold objectivity, accuracy, impartiality and integrity.
– Information must not be published before it has been verified or its accuracy established.
– Facts and events must not be presented in a one-sided manner.
– Defamation, insults and hate speech are not permitted.
– The standards of the state language must be observed.
– Journalists must avoid vulgar expressions and slang in their work.
– Editorial policy must never conflict with statehood, society’s national and moral values, public morality or the principle of protecting the institution of the family.
– Issues concerning civil rights, solidarity, democracy and equal opportunities must be treated with sensitivity.
– The editorial team must seek to protect national and public interests and must not allow content that offends people’s religious beliefs or dignity.
– State symbols must be treated with respect.
– The promotion of terrorism, violence, cruelty or discrimination based on nationality, race, religion or sex is prohibited.
– Conduct that undermines the protection of health or the environment must not be promoted.
– Freedom of information, transparency, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and pluralism must not be undermined.
– Material must be presented accurately, taking as many different perspectives as possible into account.
– Journalists must remember their educational role and develop it through their work.
– Sound critical thinking, grounded in verified facts, must guide the assessment of events.
– Violence, crime and similar threats to people’s safety must be covered appropriately, without promoting them or falling under their influence.
– Information, including images, that harms vulnerable groups or the physical, intellectual or moral development of children and minors must not be used.
– Matters involving children must be guided by the requirements of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Law on the Protection of Children from Harmful Information.
– In reporting sexual offences against a child, the child’s identity must remain confidential.
– Details of a person’s race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness, or disability must not be disclosed unless directly relevant to the subject.
– Appropriate age-restriction notices must be applied to published material where necessary.
– Parapsychology, superstition and superstitious beliefs must not be promoted.
– Reporting on attempted suicide must be handled with particular sensitivity and must not encourage imitation.
– Journalists must respect the right of anyone suspected of a crime to be presumed innocent.
– News must be distinguished from commentary, and sources must be clearly identified.
– In their commentary, journalists must observe professional standards of conduct and the fundamental principles of journalism.
– Material by outside contributors must end with a note stating that the author’s views may not reflect those of the editorial team.
– Journalists must not distort the meaning of statements they quote.
– Advertising must be distinguished from editorial and contributor content and clearly labelled as advertising.
– Journalists may refuse an editorial assignment if it conflicts with the law or professional ethics.
– If editing distorts a journalist’s views, the journalist may withdraw their authorship of the material.
– Preference must be given to transparent, credible and accurate sources.
– A source must remain confidential if they do not want identifying information disclosed because it could harm their work or them personally.
– Editors, as well as reporters, must have information about confidential sources in order to assess them. If a source insists on complete anonymity, the information may be published only if it is in the public interest and corroborated by other, alternative sources.
– Factual information must be checked against at least two different, mutually independent sources.
– A confidential source may be disclosed only at the request of a court.
– Sources must be treated fairly, and their statements must not be taken out of context.
When correcting errors in editorial material published on audiovisual or digital platforms or in print, the aim is to respond promptly and explain, as clearly and quickly as possible, what was wrong and what is correct. Readers and viewers must be able to understand how and why the error was corrected.
Once an error has been corrected, a label such as “Correction” or “Editor’s note” must be used to explain the change.
Correction — If an article, photograph, piece of information, headline, graphic, video or other material is substantially corrected, the change must be explained.
Editor’s note — If public concerns arise that material does not meet professional standards, an explanation must be provided under “Editor’s note” to clarify the matter.
The editorial team must not delete material it has published or broadcast. Where information has been overlooked or updated, the material must be supplemented accordingly.
Questions about the principles and procedures for publishing rebuttals must be addressed with reference to the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Law on Media.
– Plagiarism and copyright infringement are not permitted.
– Material used from another media outlet must be attributed to that outlet.
– Journalists must clearly distinguish their own observations from information obtained from other sources.
– Journalists may not offer material prepared for their editorial team to others without the agreement of their outlet’s management.
– Disputes must be addressed with reference to the Law on Copyright and the provisions of the Law on Media concerning copyright protection.
– Journalists must behave professionally on social media and avoid conduct that could damage the reputation or standing of the media outlet they represent.
– When publishing audio, photographs, video or other material obtained from social media, the outlet must consider the interests and privacy of people featured in it who have not made it available for public sharing.
– The public significance of information obtained from social media and the status of its author must be considered, and the information must be checked against additional sources.
– Journalists must not make their unpublished material a subject of discussion on social media without permission from their editorial team.
Serious journalism cannot exist without media ethics. Professional ethical standards include the following:
– Journalists must never accept gifts in connection with their professional work.
– Invitations to events that are not open to the public must not be accepted.
– Journalists must not produce material on someone else’s behalf.
– Disclosure of information protected as an editorial secret is prohibited.
– Journalists must not undertake obligations intended to restrict their professional activity.
– Relationships among editorial staff, and between management and employees, must be healthy, lawful and transparent.
– Journalists must uphold the principles of professional solidarity.
– In their conduct and activities outside the newsroom, employees must protect the reputation of the media outlet they represent.
