Code of practice (Flanders)

FOUNDING PRINCIPLES

The right to information and the freedom of expression are both fundamental human rights and essential conditions for a democratic society.

It is both the right and the duty of the press to inform the public about issues of general concern.

The public's right to know the facts and the opinions determines the freedom of the press and its responsibility.

The journalist's obligation to the public presumes a maximum of freedom and takes precedence over the obligations of the journalist to his/her employer or government.

The journalist is duty bound to respect human rights and to self-impose high standards regards to: (I) to report information truthfully and faithfully (II) gathering and sharing information independently (III) to be fair and (IV) to show respect for privacy and human dignity.

This code covers all forms of journalism, regardless of the medium.

The journalist may deviate from this code if it is very much in the public interest and if the information cannot be collected and conveyed in any other manner. The provisions to which this is applicable are hereafter marked by (*).

Media are accessible to the public and therefore identify themselves. They provide sufficient information to contact them.

A number of the provisions in this code are supplemented with concrete guidelines. These provisions are hereafter marked

I. FAITHFUL REPORTING

1. The journalist must report information faithfully. This comes from the public's right to know the truth.
2. The journalist must publish only information of which the source is known to him and must check the truthfulness of said information, even if this causes a delay. Where possible and when relevant, he must provide the source of said information.
3. The journalist does not omit or change any essential information in texts, images, audio(visual) recordings or other documents. When processing interviews, he must faithfully report the interviewee's statements and respect the spirit of the conversation.
4. The journalist must distinguish clearly for the public between his factual reporting and his commentary. The journalist must distinguish clearly between facts on the one hand and suppositions, claims, and opinions on the other hand.
5. Commentaries, opinion pieces, columns or cartoons offer the journalist more scope to give his opinion and to draw conclusion from the facts than is the case in factual reporting.
6. The journalist must always promptly rectify any relevant factual inaccuracies or distortions reported by him.
7. The journalist always offers the other party a chance to respond, to correct factual information or to add to it. A request to respond can only be refused for serious reasons.

II. INDEPENDENT ENQUIRY

8. The journalist and his editors enjoy maximum freedom of information, of commentary, and of criticism, and they must exercise these freedoms responsibly.
9. The journalist and the editors maintain their independence and resist any pressure. The journalist need accept only editorial guidelines from those in charge of editing. The journalist has the right to refuse any and all assignments that do not agree with journalistic ethics or the code of practise.
10. The journalist must avoid conflicts of interest with persons or organisations with which he comes into professional contact.
11. The journalist does not accept any assignments nor benefits that compromise his independence or the independence of his editorial office. The journalist should not advertise or make propaganda. He must not succumb to pressure from advertisers or from those with an interest in the information.
12.  The journalist is transparent about his assignment and how the assignment was approached. As far as possible and relevant, he communicates clearly on this to his public or audience.
13. The journalist may not use financial information, of which he has knowledge and prior to its publication, for personal gain or in the interest of those in his surroundings. A journalist must remain free of any form of abuse of prior knowledge or market manipulation.
14. Editors are free to decide which opinion pieces they publish or broadcast. The responsibility for the content of these letters/opinion pieces remains with the author(s) thereof. Editors are free to add a postscript to letters and other reactions sent in, not to publish them or to remove them. Changes and/or truncation are permitted provided the message and the tone are kept. Editors must moderate their web forums and social media with complete independence and are responsible for said moderation. It is their responsibility to avoid or to remove unsuitable content as soon as possible.

III. FAIR PLAY

15. The journalist must employ only staunch methods in acquiring and processing information, audio(visual) recordings and documents.* The journalist may not abuse his position, especially in regard to persons in a vulnerable situation such as minors, victims of crime, of disasters and accidents and those closest to them.
16. Information is not to be paid for*. One can only pay for the exclusivity of images or interviews on the condition that the freedom of information is not thereby jeopardized.
17. In acquiring information, a journalist must make the purpose of his work known. He informs his interlocutor so that the interlocutor has enough information to decide whether or not he wishes to cooperate with the publication or broadcast.
18. The journalist may not commit plagiarism.
19. The journalist must protect the identity of sources to whom he guaranteed confidentiality, and of sources whom the journalist knew or should have known, would only provide information in the expectation that their identities would not be revealed.
20. The journalist offers the other party the option of a fair hearing when his reporting makes serious accusations that may damage the honour and reputation of that party.
21. The journalist may not make any arrangements with sources or other persons that jeopardize his independence. However, arrangements made must be kept, particularly regarding the naming of names or the prior inspection of texts. It is exactly for this reason that agreements must be clear and unambiguous.

IV. RESPECT FOR THE PRIVACY AND HUMAN DIGNITY

22. The journalist must take into account the rights of any and all persons mentioned in the reporting. He must weigh those rights up against the public interest in the information.
23. The journalist must respect the right to privacy and must not probe further than public interest requires. The journalist must be prudent when dealing with persons in a vulnerable situation, such as minors, victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them.
24. The journalist must respect human dignity and must not probe further than public interest requires. The journalist must practice restraint in the selection of details and/or images for publication, even when the facts concerned strongly affect public opinion.
25. The journalist should not express any unfounded suspicions or accusations.
26. The journalist should respect the suffering of victims and of their relatives. He must not behave inappropriately in his acquisition of the facts.
27. The journalist does not encourage discrimination or racism. He ensures that the wording of the reporting does not stigmatise when mentioning ethnicity, nationality, religion, philosophy, sexual orientation or gender.

Guidelines for using the code of practice

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 3. EDITING OF SOUND AND IMAGES AND THE USE OF ARCHIVE MATERIAL

Art. 3. The journalist does not omit or change any essential information in texts, images, audio(visual) recordings or other documents. When processing interviews, he must faithfully report the interviewee's statements and respect the spirit of the conversation.

Any editing of images that changes the journalistic content of an image or of a document must be clearly identifiable for the viewer/reader, who may not be misled in any fashion. If not immediately clear that the image has been edited, the caption or accompanying text must clearly indicate that the image or sound has been edited. If images or audio(visual) recordings are edited in such a way that they no longer portray what the camera or microphone actually recorded, it must be made clear to the viewer in the accompanying commentary or text. Reconstructions or events acted out are included under this guideline.

Archive material must always be labelled as such if the use of said material could be misleading for the audience.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 6. CORRECTIONS OF ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

Art. 6 The journalist must always promptly rectify any relevant factual inaccuracies or distortions reported by him.

If serious mistakes have been made in online reporting, it is not enough to remove the article or to update it, but the journalist needs to acknowledge the mistake and publish a rectification.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 9. EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Art. 9. The journalist and the editors maintain their independence and resist any pressure. The journalist need accept only editorial guidelines from those in charge of editing. The journalist has the right to refuse any and all assignments that do not agree with journalistic ethics or the code of practise.

The editor in chief or the person undertaking the editorial tasks is responsible for the total journalistic product. He guards over the journalistic independence and the integrity of the editorial office so that the guidelines and code for correct professional conduct and journalistic ethics may be upheld.

The editor in chief is also the most appropriate point of contact for the commercial and advertorial departments. It is the task of the editor-in-chief to guarantee the editorial independence and to ensure commercial activities do not impinge on the editorial freedom.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 11. DISTINCTION BETWEEN JOURNALISM AND ADVERTISING

Art. 11. The journalist does not accept any assignments nor benefits that compromise his independence or the independence of his editorial office. The journalist should not advertise or make propaganda. He must not succumb to pressure from advertisers or from those with an interest in the information.

Advertisements and other commercial contributions must be presented in such a way that the media user can clearly discern that it is not journalism, for example by an explicit indication or a distinct difference in the design.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 11. THE FINANCING OF JOURNALISTIC ACTIVITIES

Art. 11. The journalist does not accept any assignments nor benefits that compromise his independence or the independence of his editorial office. The journalist should not advertise or make propaganda. He must not succumb to pressure from advertisers or from those with an interest in the information.

In principle, journalistic activities are paid for by the editorial office and responsibility remains with the editor-in-chief.

• When third parties carry exceptional costs or offer particular services for the journalistic tasks in hand, the journalist and the editor in chief guarantee the journalistic independence.
• Whenever there is a risk that the journalist's credibility may be seen by the public to be affected, the journalist is transparent about the external financing or support.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 12. USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Art. 12. The journalist is transparent about his assignment and how the assignment was approached. As far as possible and relevant, he communicates clearly on this to his public or audience.

Artificial intelligence may play a role in the gathering, editing, producing and distribution of news items, such as articles, reports, illustrations, infographics, etc. In such partially or completely automated processes, editorial choices play a role. Those choices must comply with the principles of the Code.

The editorial office is responsible for these editorial choices, and the editor in chief is ultimately responsible. The chief editorial office guarantees the principles of the Code by developing systems that are completely or partially driven by artificial intelligence. It guards over the application and implementation of these principles when guiding the system developers. The editorial office is always responsible for the information published, regardless of how it is produced and regardless of the medium or form in which it is made available to the public.

The editorial office communicates transparently on automated news production and the personalisation of the news offered, so that it is clear to the user when the production or selection of news items are based on artificial intelligence.

• The editorial office makes it clear when a news item, or a part of the information offered, is partially or entirely produced using automated processes and refers as much as possible to the sources the item is based on.
• The editorial office makes it clear whenever part of the information is selected or diversified based on the media profile of the user.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 13. TRADE WITH PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, THE MANIPULATION OF MARKETS, INVESTMENT ADVICE AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Art. 13. The journalist may not use financial information, of which he has knowledge and prior to its publication, for personal gain or in the interest of those in his surroundings. A journalist must remain free of any form of abuse of prior knowledge or market manipulation.

There is a particular guideline regarding trade with prior knowledge, market manipulation, investment advice and conflicts of interest. (See www.rvdj.be/journalistieke-code)

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 14. OPINION PIECES

Art. 14. Editors are free to decide which opinion pieces they publish or broadcast. The responsibility for the content of these letters/opinion pieces remains with the author(s) thereof.

Editors are free to add a postscript to letters and other reactions sent in, not to publish them or to remove them. Changes and/or truncation are permitted provided the message and the tone are kept.

Editors must moderate their web forums and social media with complete independence and are responsible for said moderation. It is their responsibility to avoid or to remove unsuitable content as soon as possible.

A journalist is not responsible for opinions by third parties. But when he knows that an opinion piece by a third party, which he publishes, contains relevant and manifest factual errors, he makes this clear to the public.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 15. DEALING WITH MINORS

Art. 15. The journalist must employ only staunch methods in acquiring and processing information, audio(visual) recordings and documents. *

The journalist may not abuse his position, especially in regard to persons in a vulnerable situation such as minors, victims of crime, of disasters and accidents and those closest to them.

The codes applies fully to minors. However, as minors are in a specific position, herewith are some guidelines on press dealings with minors.

The journalist must have the minors' best interests at heart. He is aware of both the minors' right to protection and the right to freedom of expression.

Whenever he lets a minor speak or be seen, or whenever a minor is spoken of by third parties, he considers:

• the context, nature and sensitivity of the subject;
• the emotional involvement of the minor with the subject;
• the maturity and ability of the minor to form his own judgement.

In exceptional situations minors consciously choose to play a public role. That lowers the threshold to report on them recognizably or to portray them in a recognizable way.

When minors speak out

The journalist who lets a minor speak, informs him about the purpose of the report in a way and at a level he can understand.

Whenever a minor speaks recognizably, the journalist should, in principle, ask the parents or guardian, or a third party who is entrusted with care and responsibility for the minor occasionally and temporarily, for permission. • Permission is necessary for emotional or controversial subjects and for long-running series or reports in which the minor carries the story-line. The more emotional or controversial the subject matter, the more advisable it is to contact the parents or guardian directly. • In exceptional cases a case may be made for not contacting the parents, for instance if the interests' of the parent/guardian and the minor conflict. • Permission is not necessary for everyday or non-controversial subjects.

The journalist always considers the possibility of letting the minor speak anonymously or of using an alias.

Depicting the minor

The journalist who depicts a minor recognizably is bound in principle to ask the permission of the minor himself, and the parents, guardian or a third party who is entrusted with care and responsibility for the minor occasionally and temporarily.Permission is not necessary for:

• General images in public places;
• Everyday, non-controversial subjects;
• Depictions distributed by official bodies;
• When there is a considerable public interest that overrides the interests of the minor.

For events that are accessible to the press, or where the press is invited, the implicit permission of those present is assumed. When a minor or whoever is responsible for him at that time voices objections to recognizable images, the journalist takes this into account.

The journalist always considers whether or not it is advisable to make the minor unrecognizable. If he makes the images unrecognizable, he does so efficiently.

Archive material

Whenever the journalist republishes an interview with, or images of, a minor, he takes into consideration the fact that minors and their surroundings evolve quickly.

It may be advisable not to republish older material or to ask for permission for re-publication again. See also the guideline for article 22 on digital archives and the reuse of archive material.

Judicial context

See the guideline for article 23 on the identification of minors in a judicial context.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 17. HIDDEN RECORDINGS, INCOGNITO AND ALIAS JOURNALISM

Art. 17. In acquiring information, a journalist must make the purpose of his work known. He informs his interlocutor so that the interlocutor has enough information to decide whether or not he wishes to cooperate with the publication or broadcast. *

There may be a reason why the journalist does not want to make himself known, or the purpose of his presence. That may be done in various ways, on certain conditions.

Incognito-journalism, where a journalist disguises his identity and concealed recordings are only permitted if the journalist could not have gathered the information, including sound- and visual recordings, in any other way and there is a public interest.

For alias-journalism, where the journalist takes on another identity deliberately, there needs to be a considerable public interest and consultation with the chief editor is advised. There should always be careful consideration whether there are not excessive risks taken for the safety of the journalist and of third parties. A journalist may not be pressured into accepting risky missions.

Broadcasting or online publishing of hidden recordings are only permissible if there is a public interest at stake and if the information, including sound and images, cannot be gathered in any other way. Consultation with the editor-in-chief is advised.

The journalist represents the content and circumstances of the recordings correctly. In principle, he ensures that those involved are not identifiable. If those involved are public figures, identification may be justified. If the journalist makes the images unrecognizable, he does so efficiently.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 20. HEARING

Art. 20. The journalist offers the other party the option of a fair hearing when his reporting makes serious accusations that may damage the honour and reputation of that party.

When the journalist himself goes public with such accusations, he contacts the person involved before the publication or broadcast and offers the opportunity to react.

This is also advisable when he interviews someone who makes strong accusations or allegations. If in such cases there are good reasons not to allow for a reaction, or if it is not possible in practise, he contacts the person concerned afterwards.

The journalist gives the person concerned a reasonable space of time to react.

A hearing does not free the journalist from his task to report the facts as correctly as possible and to be critical as to his sources.

A reference to an official document issued by the police or the judicial system (such as courts of law, a disciplinary commission or a dope tribunal) is not an accusation as it is intended in this guideline.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 21. EMBARGO AND REQUEST TO DELAY THE REPORT

Art. 21. The journalist may not make any arrangements with sources or other persons that jeopardize his independence. However, arrangements made must be kept, particularly regarding the naming of names or the prior inspection of texts. It is exactly for this reason that agreements must be clear and unambiguous.

Reporting can be the subject of an embargo. In this case a source disclosed information itself, but asks in return a deal on the moment of publication. When a journalist agrees to such an embargo, he adheres to it. An embargo is no longer binding when the information is known through another source.

Reporting may also be the subject of a request to delay. In this case the concerned party requests that the journalist does not disclose information which he has gathered himself. There may be exceptional reasons to agree to this request:

• When the news is still due to happen or if a delay is necessary for the news to have its full impact;
• When the lives or health of people are at risk, or in order not to jeopardize the resolution of serious crimes against people, or to avoid any other serious adverse effect.

Embargoes and requests for delay need only be honoured if they are correctly agreed, accurately and precisely described, convincingly and expressly motived, and apply to all media for a limited time.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 21. ON THE RECORD AND OFF THE RECORD INFORMATION

Art. 21. The journalist may not make any arrangements with sources or other persons that jeopardize his independence. However, arrangements made must be kept, particularly regarding the naming of names or the prior inspection of texts. It is exactly for this reason that agreements must be clear and unambiguous.

If the journalist reaches an agreement with a source on the way in which he may cite the source, it is useful to use the terms ‘on the record' and ‘off the record', so that it is as clear as possible what is being agreed upon.

Information ‘on the record' means the journalist and the source agree that the source may be cited formally.

Information ‘off the record' means the journalist may use the information and the source may not be cited.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 22. THE USE OF INFORMATION AND IMAGES TAKEN FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND PERSONAL WEBSITES

Art. 22. The journalist must take into account the rights of any and all persons mentioned in the reporting. He must weigh those rights up against the public interest in the information.

When the person involved has limited access to information or images on social media or a personal website, then this information may not be used in principle. The journalist must demonstrate a considerable public interest to justify its use. If there is no such overriding public interest, then he asks the person involved for permission.

Even on publicly accessible pages, personal information or messages may not be simply used in journalistic reporting, as there is a difference in context, extent and impact. The journalist there takes a number of considerations into account before he uses this information.

• The journalist upholds the principles of respect for people's private lives.
• The journalist only uses personal information or recognizable images if it is justified by the public interest in reporting it. If not, he asks the person concerned for permission.
• This applies in particular to people in vulnerable situations, such as minors, victims of crime, of disasters or accidents, and those closest to them. If it transpires that victims or those closest to them object to using or publishing this material, the journalist should respect that.
• The journalist takes into account that publishing information or images in a different context may hurt or offend people.
• This discretion does not apply to the use of personal messages of public persons on publicly accessible platforms or media.

The journalist checks the provenance and the veracity of the information or the images he uses.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 22. DIGITAL ARCHIVES AND RE-USE OF ARCHIVE MATERIAL

Art. 22. The journalist must take into account the rights of any and all persons mentioned in the reporting. He must weigh those rights up against the public interest in the information.

The value and the public interest in archives that are as complete as possible and that faithfully reproduce what was published, and the right to information outweigh in principle the interests of persons seeking to remove, anonymise, block access to or amend archived articles, images, sound recordings or broadcasts.

When considering requests, the editorial staff must therefore weigh up the archive's importance to the public and the public's right to information, against the right to be forgotten.

The journalist must make this same assessment when he reuses information and images or sound recordings from archives at a later date. He takes the original context of the information and the images or sound recordings into consideration.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 22. HYPERLINKS

Art. 22. The journalist must take into account the rights of any and all persons mentioned in the reporting. He must weigh those rights up against the public interest in the information.

When a journalist places a hyperlink, he gives the necessary context and weighs up the importance against the interests that may be affected by the placing of a hyperlink.

When a journalist embeds the context of another website into his own reporting, he is responsible for the whole.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 23. RESPECT FOR THE PRIVATE LIFE OF PUBLIC FIGURES

Art. 23. The journalist must respect the right to privacy and must not probe further than public interest requires.

The journalist must be prudent when dealing with persons in a vulnerable situation, such as minors, victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them.

Respect for the private life applies to public figures too. Public figures are people who, in the circles relevant to the report, have a public or civic responsible function or role to play, or who enjoy wider media notoriety.

There are elements in the private life that may influence public functioning. Reporting on this may be in the public interest.

When known people offer a glimpse into their private lives or who seek media attention for their private lives, unsolicited reporting on their private lives may be justified as long as it is in proportion to the way those concerned go public with their private lives.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 23. IMAGES TAKEN IN PUBLIC PLACES OR AREAS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PRESS

Art. 23. The journalist must respect the right to privacy and must not probe further than public interest requires.

The journalist must be prudent when dealing with persons in a vulnerable situation, such as minors, victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them.

At public events or events that are accessible for the press, the journalist has the implicit consent of all those present to take pictures, film or recordings and to publish or broadcast this report.

For the publication or emission of general images of people in public places, the journalist takes the nature of the subject and involvement of the depicted persons into account. The more controversial the subject and the less the person is involved in the subject, the less the use of the images is appropriate.

For the publication or broadcasting of images that are specifically of one or a few persons in public places the journalist asks for the permission of those concerned as a matter of principle.

When the concerned person(s) expresses the wish not to be portrayed, the journalist respects the question*. If necessary, he removes the material from the archive.

Incidents of acts which it is in the public interest to report on, with recognizable images, are not affected by abovementioned principles.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 23. IDENTIFICATION OF VICTIMS

Art. 23. The journalist must respect the right to privacy and must not probe further than public interest requires.

The journalist must be prudent when dealing with persons in a vulnerable situation, such as minors, victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them.

The journalist is particularly reticent in making details known or publishing images that enable the identification of victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them. He weights up the public interest in the information against the rights of those concerned. The identification of public figures can be considered an exception to this rule.

If possible, the journalist makes the identity and the recognizable images of victims known after those closest to them may be assumed to have been informed.*

If the journalist portrays the victims, he considers the public interest and informative value of the images versus the rights of the victims and those closest to them. If he decides to make the victims hard to recognise, he does so efficiently.

The journalist takes the request of a victim, or those closest to him, not to be identified seriously.

Every identification of victims of sexual violence is forbidden by law unless they explicitly give written consent or the investigating magistrate gives consent.

GUIDELINE FOR 23. IDENTIFICATION IN JURIDICAL CONTEXT

Art. 23. The journalist must respect the right to privacy and must not probe further than public interest requires.

The journalist must be prudent when dealing with persons in a vulnerable situation, such as minors, victims of crime, disasters and accidents and those closest to them.

In general

The journalist takes the uncertainty of the juridical process into account, including the possible innocence of the suspect. He ensures this is clear in his reporting.

When the suspect on whom the journalist previously published a recognizable report is released or exonerated, the journalist mentions this loyally.

The journalist weighs up the public interest in the reporting against the chances of reclassification and reintegration.

If the journalist refers to the case in the future, or to the legal file, he takes earlier juridical decisions or verdicts into account.

Identification of suspects and the condemned

When the journalist in his reporting identifies a suspect or a condemned person, he weighs up the public's right to information against the person's right to privacy. Depending on the situation he chooses not to identify, to limit identification or to disclose identity fully.

Limited identification

The name, the initial of the surname, the age and the place where the suspect or convicted person lives, may be mentioned, on following conditions.

• Limited identification is possible and the degree to which this is applied depends on the severity of the facts, the state of the investigation or the procedure and the public interest in reporting on the facts. For minor offences limited identification is not automatically available.
• If the journalist mentions the identifying elements, he is extra careful with other facts, including images and sound reports, that make identification possible.
• If the journalist makes images and sound recordings unrecognizable, he does so efficiently.

Full identification

Full identification of suspects and condemned persons is permissible under one of the following conditions.

• A public interest. In the case of a suspect, the public interest needs to be considerable.
• The suspect or condemned person is a public figure and public interest justifies complete identification.
• The suspect or condemned person discloses information about himself and does not object to identification.
• For serious offences only in the case of a suspect when the guilt is to be expected, for instance due to a confession, being caught red handed or due to information from a reliable source.
• The suspect is on the run and the police or judiciary have issued a search warrant with full identification and/or recognizable images.
• The full identification of the suspect may be a warning for potential new victims.

Identification of victims

See the guideline for article 23 on the identification of victims.

Identification of minors

The juvenile court

Every identification of a minor who has had measures imposed by a juvenile court, is legally forbidden and therefore punishable. It makes no difference whether it is about a youngster who has committed offences described as crimes or a youngster in a worrying environment

From a professional ethical point of view, identification may be justified in a number of cases.

• When the reporting is not at all about the case and the measure imposed by the juvenile court is not mentioned.
• To publish identification details which the justice department, police or Child Focus have released themselves, for instance as part of a search effort. If these instances in a later phase, ask for the dissemination of the facts to be stopped, then the journalist respects that as much as possible.
• In exceptional cases of great public interest, for instance to allow a minor to make his or her case clear.

The crucial question is whether the identification is in the interest of the minor himself.

Judicial context outside the juvenile court

Underage victims, witnesses and other persons involved in a juridical context should, in principle, not be identified.

When the juvenile judge hands the minor over to a regular court, the abovementioned principles regarding the suspects and condemned apply.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 24. REPORTING ON SUICIDE

Art. 24. The journalist must respect human dignity and must not probe further than public interest requires.

The journalist must practice restraint in the selection of details and/or images for publication, even when the facts concerned strongly affect public opinion.

In reporting on suicide the journalist respects the privacy of the person concerned and those closest to him. He avoids simplification of the immediate cause(s) leading up to the attempt, dramatizing the situation, detailed descriptions and a positive emphasis on the facts.

GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLE 26. REPORTING ON FUNERALS AND MOURNING CEREMONIES

Art. 26. The journalist should respect the suffering of victims and of their relatives. He must not behave inappropriately in his acquisition of the facts.

The journalist reports on mourning ceremonies with respect and takes the wishes of those involved into consideration.