GENERAL PRINCIPLES
The right to information, freedom of expression and criticism is one of the basic rights of every human being, regardless of his sex, race,nationality, religion and political alignment. From that right of the public to know facts and opinions originate all the duties and rights of the journalist.
In their practice, journalists are required to defend human rights,dignity and freedom, to respect pluralism of ideas and attitudes, to contribute to strengthening the rule of law and, as a democratic part of the general public, to participate in the control of the activity of appointed and elected officials.
Journalists observe the Constitution and the positive legislation of the Republic of Croatia, the statutes and documents of the InternationalFederation of Journalists (IFJ) and of the Council of Europe on freedom of expression and information and on human rights.
Journalists care for culture and the ethics of public expression and respect the achievements and values of a prosperous civilisation.
RIGHTS AND DUTIES
In performing his duties and activities, a journalist must respect the general principles and ethics of his profession. Starting from the principle that the media in a democratic society are free, independent,investigative and open to different opinions, a journalist is responsible for his work to the general public, to the courts and to his professional organisation.
By expressing independent and critical opinion in search of the truth as a basic principle of his professional duty, a journalist participates actively in creating public opinion and collective judgement about matters of general interest.
A journalist, as any other citizen, has the right to political or other attitude and commitment. In his work, he keeps professional distance from actual events, which is one of the conditions for objective, professional reporting about events.
Journalist is required to express truthful, balanced and verified information. He identifies persons or institutions, as sources of his information and statements. He has right not to reveal his source of information, but he assumes moral, material and penal responsibility for the published fact.
A journalist has right of access to all the sources of information and the right of free investigation of all the facts that create public life.If unjustly denied access to requested information, a journalist has the right to inform the general public about it.
A journalist shall respect the legal obligation of not revealingState secrets. A journalist respects embargoes. If he judges that those limitations are misused in order to restrict access to information, a journalist warns the relevant authorities about it and demands their explanation for the general public.
In reporting and especially in comments and polemical texts, a journalist is required to respect the ethics of public expression and the culture of dialogue, and to respect the dignity and integrity of the person he argues with.
The work of a journalist is subject to the criticism of the general public. An obligation for journalists and editors is to pay attention to all the proposals, recommendations, remarks and criticism addressed to them, and to inform the general public about it occasionally.
A journalist has a right and duty to champion the free flow of information.
A journalist respects the authorship of other journalists and other actors in public communication. He mentions the names of authors whose materials he uses in his texts.
Abbreviating or modifying materials with the possibility that the meaning be altered can be published only with the author's approval. In case of disagreement the author has the right to withdraw his material and to deny his signature.
Anonymous texts and any texts signed with a pseudonym are considered editorial texts.
Plagiarism is incompatible with the journalists' Code of Ethics.
A journalist shall use only fair methods to obtain news,photographs and documents. He shall not use unfair or illegal means.
A member of the Journalists' Association has the right to refuse a professional assignment if it is contrary to his Code of Ethics, to theStatutes of the Journalists' Association or other professional and ethical standards of the profession.
A journalist is to protect a person's private life from unjustified or sensational exposure to the public. Special care and responsibility is needed in reporting about accidents, family tragedies, diseases, children and minors, court proceedings, where the journalist must respect the presumption of innocence, integrity, dignity and feelings of all the persons involved. In political confrontations, a journalist is to respect the civil rights and freedoms of the participants, and strive to remain impartial.
A journalist must not be involved in activities threatening his independence of judgement, which would limit his objectivity in publishing true facts and undermine his journalistic dignity. A journalist must not publish information in order to get some personal material benefit (bribe, corruption etc). A journalist must not be the author of paid advertisements and other advertising material.
Journalists and the Journalists' Association protect the respectability, dignity and integrity of their profession, co-operate and care for correct, friendly and fair relations and professional solidarity.
FINAL PROVISIONS
A journalist acting in accordance with this Code of Ethics has the support of his employer/ editor, his professional organisation and his trade union. The Statutes of the Croatian Journalists' Association define the sanctions for violation of this Code.
Editorial regulations imply responsibility regarding respect of thisCode of Ethics also by those journalists that are not members of the CroatianJournalists' Association, and by all the authors or editors of published texts without regard to their status - full time employees, free lancers or occasional authors.
The enforcement and protection of the Code of Ethics is under the competence of the Journalists' Ethics Council of the Croatian Journalists'Association.
