- In accordance with the Constitution of Bulgaria and its international human rights agreements;
- Reaffirming that everyone has the fundamental right to freedom of expression, access to information, protection of personal dignity and privacy, and the right to safety and security;
Ethical principle:
Freedom of speech
This principle was also found in:
- Reaffirming that the media should be guaranteed the freedom to operate without any form of censorship;
Ethical principle:
Freedom of speech
This principle was also found in:
- Realising that to maintain these rights, the media have freedoms and responsibilities, as well as other rights and obligations;
- Declaring that our primary purpose in abiding by the letter and the spirit of this Code is to honour the right of the public to receive and distribute reliable information so that they can play an active role as citizens in an open democracy;
Ethical principle:
Freedom of information
This principle was also found in:
- In recognition of our responsibility to respect these rights, we, as representatives of the Bulgarian media, commit ourselves to the following principles:
1. SUPPLYING THE PUBLIC WITH RELIABLE INFORMATION
1. Accuracy
- We shall supply the public with accurate and verified information and we shall not deliberately suppress or distort facts.
Ethical principle:
Distortion of facts or forgery
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- We shall not publish information we know to be inaccurate.
Ethical principle:
Accuracy
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- We shall not mislead the public, and we will clearly indicate where manipulated texts, documents, images, and sounds have been used.
Ethical principle:
Manipulation of visual material
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- We shall distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture, and facts.
Ethical principle:
Separation between facts and opinions or analysis
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- In presenting analysis and comment we shall seek to ensure that a diversity of opinions and views is represented.
Ethical principle:
Opinions and op-eds
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- In reporting on a controversy we shall seek to ensure that the parties concerned have an opportunity to state their position.
Ethical principle:
Right of reply
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2. Corrections
- We shall publish a clear and appropriately prominent correction when it can be demonstrated that inaccurate or misleading information has been published, and we shall provide an apology if necessary.
Ethical principle:
Correction of errors by media
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- We shall provide a right of reply to individuals and organisations directly affected by inaccurate or misleading publications.
Ethical principle:
Correction of errors by media
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3. Sources
- We shall endeavour to verify information, as we look for and use different sources, before it is published, and we shall indicate its provenance where appropriate.
Ethical principle:
Verification of information
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- We prefer to use identified sources rather than anonymous sources, as the latter's honesty and reliability cannot be assessed by the public.
Ethical principle:
Naming the sources
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- We shall protect the identity of confidential sources of information.
Ethical principle:
Confidentiality
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- We shall always indicate where information has not been confirmed.
Ethical principle:
Rumours and unconfirmed or unverified reports
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2. COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION
1. Identification
- We shall gather information by fair and legal means.
Ethical principle:
Fairness in gathering information
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- We shall only make use of subterfuge, hidden cameras, microphones, and other special equipment or means, including obscuring our professional identity, if there are no other means to obtain information deemed exceptionally important to the public interest; we shall indicate such methods in the respective story.
Ethical principle:
Making recordings
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2. Harassment
- We shall not use threats, force, or harassment to obtain information or images.
Ethical principle:
Harassment of people by journalists
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3. Privacy
- We respect the inviolability of everyone's private life.
Ethical principle:
Dignity
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- We shall avoid publishing photographs and recordings of individuals if these photographs and recordings were taken or made outside of the realm of a public space and without their consent.
Ethical principle:
Pictures in non-public places
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- We shall not add to the distress of people affected by tragedy or crime and shall report such matters with sympathy and constraint.
Ethical principle:
Vulnerable people and sensitive topics
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- We shall respect the wish of people to grieve in private.
Ethical principle:
Vulnerable people and sensitive topics
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- Only an exceptional circumstance that is important to the public interest would justify the media's intrusion into private and family life.
Ethical principle:
Privacy (and the public interest)
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- According to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, public figures can expect a lesser degree of privacy; however, information about their private lives can be disclosed only if it serves the public interest.
Ethical principle:
Privacy (and the public interest)
This principle was also found in:
4. Children
- We shall demonstrate special responsibility in respecting the rights of children, including their right to be heard.
Ethical principle:
Children
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- We shall not take advantage of a child's innocence and trust.
Ethical principle:
Children
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- We shall not publish information or photographs about the private life of a child unless there is an overriding circumstance serving the public interest.
Ethical principle:
Children
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- We shall protect the identity of children involved in or affected by tragedy or criminal activity when identifying them under such circumstances may harm them.
Ethical principle:
Children
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- We shall seek to avoid interviewing children without the consent of an adult in charge.
Ethical principle:
Children
This principle was also found in:
5. DiscriminationEthical principle:
Discrimination and racism
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Ethical principle:
Discrimination and racism
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- We respect everyone's right to live in safety and security, and we shall avoid publishing material that incites or encourages hatred, violence, or any form of discrimination.
- We shall not refer to a person's race, colour, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or mental or physical condition, unless it is of relevant importance to the meaning of the story.
6. Crime and brutality
- We respect the assumption of innocence and will not describe a person as a criminal prior to the person's conviction.
- If we identify a person as being charged with a crime, we shall also make known the outcome of the trial.
Ethical principle:
Reporting on Court and legal proceedings
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- We shall treat with caution the identification of victims and witnesses of crime, especially in cases involving sexual assault, unless the respective victims and witnesses give consent to being identified.
Ethical principle:
Victims of crimes, accidents, or disasters
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- We shall refrain from glorifying or unnecessarily sensationalising crime, violence, and brutality when reporting them.
Ethical principle:
Violence and war
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- We shall be careful not to be used as a platform for those who would promote, incite, or otherwise use violence; we shall report on such activities with due constraint and only if it clearly serves the public interest.
Ethical principle:
Violence and war
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7. Decency
1. We shall respect good taste and decency in our publications.
Ethical principle:
Decency
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8. Suicides
1. We shall avoid publishing details of suicide methods in order to limit the risk of imitation.
Ethical principle:
Reporting on suicide
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3. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
- We shall not be susceptible to political or commercial pressure or influence.
Ethical principle:
Independence from commercial interests
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- We shall maintain a clear distinction between editorial decision making, and the commercial policy of the media.
Ethical principle:
Separation of paid and editorial content
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- We shall maintain a clear distinction between editorial content, and marketing, advertisements, or sponsored materials.
Ethical principle:
Separation of paid and editorial content
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- We shall not accept any personal, political, or financial inducements that may impact our ability to provide the public with accurate information.
Ethical principle:
Accepting gifts
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- We shall not use our access to information as a means of obtaining personal gain, especially in respect to information regarding business performance and financial markets.
Ethical principle:
Using job or job-related information for private benefits
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- We shall avoid covering stories where we have a direct personal interest, or, if we pursue such stories, we should at least declare our personal interests where relevant.
Ethical principle:
Conflicts of interest
This principle was also found in:
- We respect the right of individual journalists to refuse, or refuse being identified as the author of, assignments or publications which would break the letter and spirit of this Code.
Ethical principle:
Not acting against one’s convictions
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- We shall not pay sources for information, but where payment is considered necessary in order to obtain information that clearly serves the public interest, we shall make known that payments have been made for such information.
Ethical principle:
Payment of sources
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4. RELATIONS BETWEEN AND WITHIN MEDIA
- We believe that relationships between different media outlets and between media professionals should be characterised by mutual respect and fair competition in order to preserve the integrity of the media.
Ethical principle:
Dignity of journalism as a profession
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- We believe that the public has a right to know who owns and controls media outlets.
Ethical principle:
Transparency regarding media ownership
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- We consider all forms of plagiarism to be unacceptable in all circumstances.
Ethical principle:
Plagiarism and copyright
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- We respect copyright and the terms of copyright agreements.
Ethical principle:
Plagiarism and copyright
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- We shall always acknowledge the source of short extracts of material from other media which may be in use without their express permission.
Ethical principle:
Re-using material
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- We shall only reproduce longer extracts or complete materials from other media with the prior permission and acknowledgement of the respective author and media.
Ethical principle:
Re-using material
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- We shall support media colleagues when they are unfairly attacked or criticised. However, professional solidarity should not be an excuse for suppressing or distorting information.
Ethical principle:
Supporting colleagues in the media
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- We believe that individual journalists who respected the letter and spirit of this Code yet are charged in court by third parties should be supported by their respective media outlet.
Ethical principle:
Support from media outlets for journalist
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5. PUBLIC INTEREST
- Infringement of the terms of this Code may only be justified where it can be clearly and fully demonstrated that the respective publication serves the best interests of the public.
Ethical principle:
Public interest
This principle was also found in:
- For the purposes of this Code, information that is in, of, serves, or is otherwise important to 'the public interest' should not be confused with information that is 'interesting to the public.'
- A publication is in, of, serves, or is otherwise important to 'the public interest' only if:
- it protects the health, safety and security of the public;
- it helps the prevention and disclosure of serious crimes and abuse of power regarding the public; and
- it prevents the public from the danger of being seriously misled.