Tanzanian Media Council: Journalists' code of conduct

(a) Every journalist has a duty to tell, adhere to, adore and faith-fully defend, the truth.

(b) A journalist shall make adequate inquiries, do cross-checking of facts in order to provide the public with unbiased, accurate, balanced comprehensive information/news.

Article 2: Professional Integrity

A journalist should not solicit, not accept bribes or any form of inducement meant to bend or influence professional perform-ance.

Article 3: Non-Disclosure of Source

A journalist should not disclose sources of information given in confidence.

Article 4: Social Responsibility

A journalist shall, in collection and dissemination of information, bear in mind his/her responsibility to the public which means to educate citizens and others on matters affecting them and their surroundings, and consistently strive to put ahead of others, matters of public and national interest.

Article 5: Respect for Human Dignity

(a) A journalist should avoid violation of individual privacy and human dignity unless such violation is done for a provable pub-lic interest.
(b) A journalist should guard against libel, slander and defama-tion in general.
(C) A journalist should respect and consistently work for attain-ment of human rights an d fuller freedom.

Article 6: Discrimination

A journalist should not engage in publication, directly or indi-rectly or by implication, of stories, information, photos that in-jure, or discriminate against anybody for his/her colour, religion, origin or sex.

Article 7: Identity and the Underdog.

(a) A journalist should not open to ridicule the underdog includ-ing minors, the old, the bereaved and any other underprivileged persons or communities.
(b) A journalist should avoid identifying victims of sexual assault unless the victim is dead and that a journalist secure consent from a living victim.

Article 8: Facts and Comments

(a) A journalist should always draw a clear line between com-ment, conjecture and fact.
(b) A journalist should not plagiarise and where other's material is used credit should be given to source.

Article 9: Sensationalism

Sensationalism is mainly inherent in stories but a journalist must guard against highlighting incidents out of context, either in headlines or in reportage/narration.

Article 10: Correction and Right of Reply

(a) Any warranted correction must be done promptly and with due prominence.
(b) Apologies should be published whenever appropriate and accorded due prominence.
(c) An individual, group, organisation who disputes a published report should be given an opportunity to reply.

Article 11: Working Together.

Journalists should work together in safeguarding this Code of Ethics which is applicable to members in the state-owned me-dia, private media and local freelance journalists.