By the Editor
The National union of Journalists continues to campaign to protect and promote ethical journalism.
The union recognises the inherent link between and importance of leaked confidential documents, the protection of sources and journalism reporting in the public interest.
This campaign’s latest newsletter promotes upcoming events, provides information about the union’s work in parliament and highlights recent, related developments. All of this work is underpinned by the NUJ’s ethics code.
In the UK and Ireland the union’s ethical code of conduct is the only code written for journalists by journalists. It forms part of the union’s rules and members strive to adhere to its professional principles.
The NUJ code states: “A journalist 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.”
The code also repeatedly highlights the importance of the public interest and calls on journalists to protect their sources.
The first NUJ code was published in 1936 and said a journalist “should keep union and professional secrets and respect all necessary confidences regarding sources of information and private documents”.
The code was last updated in 2011 and more than 80 years after the first draft it still says a journalist “protects the identity of sources who supply information in confidence and material gathered in the course of her/his work”.
- Bill Heaney is a Life Member of the NUJ and Editor Emeritus for life in the Society of Editors.