Journalistic principles

Factual accuracy:

The principle of factual integrity should be sacrosanct in the UK media yet it is frequently compromised. Here we assess whether overall standards of accuracy have been met, specifically:

• Factual error
• Distortion of information
• Misrepresentation of facts
• Presentation of opinion as fact
• Lack of context by exclusion of relevant information and facts
• Use of inappropriate or manipulated images to illustrate stories

• Factual error
  The media has an ethical obligation to the truth, which means first and foremost that it must get the facts correct. This category refers to empirical facts. All media coverage must be factually accurate, including news reporting, analysis, opinion pieces, etc. Although opinion pieces will naturally include the author’s personal opinion or the newspaper’s stance on a particular matter, a minimum requirement is that the opinion be based on accurate facts. For example, it is factually incorrect to claim that Hizbollah has nearly always targeted soldiers, seeing that Hizbollah has, for many years, carried out rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages, killing and injuring dozens of civilians.

• Distortion of information
  This category refers to cases where the overall picture is factually misleading, even though there may not necessarily be any factual errors as such. Publishing a headline asserting that “Israelis blow up world's most wanted terrorist” is a distortion of information if at the time of writing, responsibility for the assassination is unknown and any such involvement is denied by Israel.

• Misrepresentation of facts
  This is when the facts, which may be correct, are laid out or described in a manner which distorts reality. Thus, claiming that Hizbollah’s Katyusha rockets “couldn’t hit a barn door” misrepresents the truth. Whilst Katyusha rockets may often be inaccurate, in reality they have killed dozens of civilians and forced thousands to evacuate their homes and live in bomb shelters.

• Presentation of opinion as fact
  It is often the case that statements which appear to be factual are actually personal opinions. Thus, a journalist who states that Hamas “were all speaking the truth,” is expressing his own opinion masked as a factual claim, consequently compromising the integrity of the report.

• Lack of context by exclusion of relevant information and facts
  Factual accuracy also means presenting all the pertinent facts, since omitting relevant facts may lead to false conclusions. This entails putting facts and events in context and providing sufficient background to provide a correct picture. A report on the blockade of Gaza which fails to mention the rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel portrays a partial and incorrect picture which may lead readers to mistaken conclusions.

• Use of inappropriate or manipulated images to illustrate stories
  Whether it is photos, drawings or any other visuals, images form an extremely important component of a story. Using inappropriate images to illustrate stories can give an overall wrong impression of the facts. Thus, featuring a photograph of children at the top of an article titled: “Gaza raids kill 11 Palestinians”, when the vast majority of those affected were militants, would be inappropriate.
  

Key quotes:

“News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy”
OFCOM Broadcasting Code Section 5.1

“We should not distort known facts, present invented material as fact, or knowingly do anything to mislead our audiences.”
BBC Editorial Guidelines

“Views and facts must not be misrepresented."
OFCOM Broadcasting Code Section 5.7

“The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.”
PCC Code of Practice: Section 1(iii)

“We will weigh all relevant facts and information to get at the truth”
BBC Editorial Guidelines

“The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.”
PCC Code of Practice: Section 1(iii)