(Adopted by the National Union of French Journalists in 1918 and revised and completed by the union (SNJ) in 1938).
A journalist worthy of the name:
• assumes responsibility for all that he writes;
• considers slander, unfounded accusations, alteration of documents, distortion of facts and lying, to be the most serious professional misconduct;
• recognises the jurisdiction of his colleagues as the only one which is sovereign in matters of professional honour;
• accepts only such assignments that are compatible with his professional dignity;
• refuses to invoke an imaginary title of quality, use disloyal means to get information or take advantage of the good faith of anybody;
• does not receive money in a public service or a private enterprise where his status of journalist, his influence and his relations may be made use of;
• does not sign articles of commercial or financial advertising;
• does not commit any plagiarism;
• does not claim the position held by another colleague nor causes him to be dismissed by offering to work at inferior conditions;
• respects professional secrecy;
• does not make use of the freedom of the press with profit-seeking intentions;
• demands the freedom to publish his information honestly;
• respects justice and gives it top priority;
• does not confuse his role with that of a policeman.
