OhmyNews Reporter’s Code of Ethics 1. The citizen reporter must work in the spirit that “all citizens are reporters,” and plainly identify himself as a citizen reporter while covering stories. 2. The citizen reporter does not spread false information. He does not write articles based on groundless assumptions or predictions.
CIMA Research Report: Media Codes of Ethics
3. The citizen reporter does not use abusive, vulgar, or otherwise offensive language constituting a personal attack. 4. The citizen reporter does not damage the reputation of others by composing articles that infringe on personal privacy. 5. The citizen reporter uses legitimate methods to gather information, and clearly informs his sources of the intention to cover a story. 6. The citizen reporter does not use his position for unjust gain, or otherwise seek personal profit. 7. The citizen reporter does not exaggerate or distort facts on behalf of himself or any organization to which he belongs.
The guidelines do not, however, completely rule out reports that the Post cannot independently verify: “If we are confident in the sourcing of a third-party report, we may cite it on social networks while also attributing the information to the original source. If facts or sourcing are murky, it is preferable to buy time by telling readers we’re investigating a developing story, then consult with originating editors for advice.” In other words, if it’s “out there,” in the new world of digital media and social networking, it’s ripe for reporting. The old two-source rule of verification, frequently cited by the Post during its Watergate heyday, apparently no longer applies.93 Nonetheless, the guidelines issued by the Post and other news organizations–such as the BBC, the Los Angeles Times, ESPN, and the Associated Press–seek to assert some ethical guidelines their employees should follow while mining digital media. But what of self-styled “citizen journalists”? Do the same rules and standards apply to them, and, if so, who should write the rules and who should enforce them? Beyond the usual laws against libel, defamation and privacy, what goes?
OhmyNews, a South Korean website that aggregates content from citizen journalists, has its own set of ethical guidelines.94 The site’s motto is, appropriately, “Every Citizen Is a Reporter.” A key tenet: “The citizen reporter does not spread false information. He does not write articles based on groundless assumptions or predictions.” Elsewhere, young citizen journalists from the Middle East and Iran fashioned their own code in July 2011 in Beirut.95 No traditional Western journalist could take issue with its 12 commandments, including “Be fair … Be accurate … Always link to original sources … Do not fabricate stories … Do not plagiarize …” 8. The citizen reporter apologizes fully and promptly for coverage that is wrong or otherwise inappropriate.
MediaWise’s Jempson said, “Having run alternative newspapers in my own time, I’m very much in favor of a community voice, but you have to get people to understand that doesn’t give them the right to do whatever the hell they want, and if they want to be taken seriously they have got to be accurate.”96
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Center for International Media Assistance