Press Code

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The press code (actually: journalistic principles ) is a collection of journalistic and ethical basic rules that the German Press Council presented in 1973.

Publishers and journalists have approved the journalistic principles formulated therein through their associations. The press code thus has the character of a voluntary self-commitment . The text is based on the practice of the press council as an important control body of the media in Germany and on the code of honor of the international journalists' federation . The press code has been amended several times since 1973. It is made more concrete by the "Guidelines for journalistic work according to the recommendations of the German Press Council". Most recently, on March 22, 2017, Directive 12.1 (reporting on criminal offenses) was amended.

Since January 1, 2009, the code has also been used for journalistic articles in online media .

The press code

Decided by the German Press Council in cooperation with the press associations and presented to Federal President Gustav Heinemann on December 12, 1973 in Bonn . It is part of the tradition of the press code that every change is passed on to the incumbent Federal President.

The press code is revised at irregular intervals. The current version is dated March 13, 2013. In Austria there is a code of honor for the Austrian press . In Switzerland there is the declaration of the duties and rights of journalists of the Swiss Press Council .

Content of the press code

The press code comprises a total of 16 points:

1. Truthfulness and respect for human dignity
Respect for the truth , safeguarding human dignity and truthful information to the public are the top priorities of the press . Every person working in the press maintains the reputation and credibility of the media on this basis.
2. Care
Research is an indispensable tool for journalistic diligence. Information in words, images and graphics intended for publication must be checked for truthfulness with the care required under the circumstances and reproduced truthfully. Their meaning may not be distorted or falsified by editing, headings or captions. Unconfirmed reports , rumors and assumptions must be made recognizable as such. Symbolic photos must be recognizable as such or made recognizable.
3. Correction
Published messages or allegations , in particular of a personal nature, which subsequently turn out to be false, must be corrected immediately and in an appropriate manner by the publication organ that brought them.
4. Limits of Research
No unfair methods may be used in the acquisition of personal data, messages, information material and images.
5. Professional secrecy
The press maintains professional secrecy , makes use of the right to refuse to give evidence and does not divulge informants without their express consent. The agreed confidentiality must generally be observed.
6. Separation of activities
Journalists and publishers do not engage in activities that could question the credibility of the press.
7. Separation of advertising and editorial
The responsibility of the press towards the public requires that editorial publications are not influenced by private or business interests of third parties or by the personal economic interests of journalists. Publishers and editors defend themselves against such attempts and pay attention to a clear separation between editorial text and publications for advertising purposes. In the case of publications that concern the publisher's self-interest, this must be recognizable.
8. Personal rights
The press respects people's private life and informational self-determination . But if his behavior is of public interest, it can be discussed in the press. In the case of identifying reports, the public's interest in information must outweigh the legitimate interests of those affected; mere sensational interests do not justify identifying reporting. If anonymization is required, it must be effective.
The press guarantees editorial data protection .
9. Protection of honor
It is contrary to journalistic ethics to hurt people's honor with inadequate presentations in words and images .
10. Religion and belief
The press refrains from reviling religious, ideological or moral convictions.
11. Sensational reporting and protection of minors
The press renounces an inappropriately sensational representation of violence, brutality and suffering. The press respects the protection of minors .
12. Discrimination
Nobody should be discriminated against because of their gender, disability or belonging to an ethnic , religious, social or national group .
12.1 Crime Reporting
When reporting on criminal offenses, care must be taken to ensure that mentioning the allegiance of the suspect or perpetrator to ethnic, religious or other minorities does not lead to a discriminatory generalization of individual misconduct. As a rule, affiliation should not be mentioned unless there is a justified public interest. It should be noted in particular that mentioning it could fuel prejudice against minorities.
13. Presumption of innocence
Reporting on preliminary investigations, criminal proceedings and other formal proceedings must be free of prejudice. The principle of the presumption of innocence also applies to the press.
14. Medicine reporting
In the case of medical topics, avoid inappropriate sensational presentations that could raise hopes or fears in the reader. Research results that are in the early stages should not be presented as completed or near completion.
15. Discounts
The acceptance of advantages of any kind which could be capable of impairing the freedom of choice of the publisher and editorial staff is incompatible with the reputation, independence and task of the press. Anyone who accepts bribes for distributing or suppressing news is acting dishonorably and unprofessionally.
16. Publication of complaints
It is fair reporting to publish publicly voiced complaints by the German Press Council, especially in the relevant publication organs or telemedia .

Complaints about violations of the press code

Anyone can complain to the press council about newspapers, magazines and, since January 1, 2009, also about journalistic-editorial contributions from the Internet, provided that they are not broadcasts. Advertising papers and other free newspapers and magazines cannot be checked by the Press Council. Clubs, associations etc. are also entitled to do this. The complaint is free. Complaints are also possible online.

to reprimand

From the Press Council outspoken public complaints are to be printed in the affected publications. Not all publishers adhere to this.

criticism

Since the harshest sanction for violating the press code is a public reprimand, the press council is accused of being a “toothless tiger”. The press council rejects this, pointing out that 18 of the 20 public reprimands issued in 2003 for massive violations of the press code were also printed in the criticized papers.

The press council's decision-making practice is also criticized: decisions of the press council that are made in closed sessions were described by the editorial offices concerned as "incomprehensible".

The fact that the affiliation of suspects or offenders to minorities may only be mentioned if it is decisive for the understanding of the reported crime is criticized as patronizing, since this publication prohibition is not covered by the obligation to truth or the constitutional restrictions on freedom of the press.

In October 2013, the media scientist Horst Pöttker described guideline 12.1 of the press code as outmoded " self-censorship " and demanded that it be deleted without replacement. The passage states that "the affiliation of the suspect or perpetrator to religious, ethnic or other minorities [is] only mentioned if there is a justifiable factual reference for the understanding of the incident reported". Pöttker argues that this provision cannot be reconciled with the constitutional freedom of the press and freedom of expression . Investigations have also shown that the deliberate omission of the origin of the perpetrators in press products is very well registered by the readers. This undermines public confidence in the objectivity of journalistic work. In March 2016, the Nordkurier editor-in-chief Lutz Schumacher , the Bild editor-in-chief Tanit Koch , the former Rhein-Zeitung editor -in- chief Christian Lindner and Nordwest-Zeitung editor -in- chief Rolf Seelheim supported the deletion of guideline 12.1. On July 1, 2016, the Sächsische Zeitung announced that in future it would always name the nationalities of offenders. The reason given was the protection of minorities, which, according to SZ, would not be protected by point 12.1 of the press code, as readers increasingly tend to overestimate the crime against foreigners.

Decisions in appeal proceedings 2018
Sanction cases
Public reprimands 027
Non-public reprimands 001
disapproval 070
Note 147
reasoned, without action 042
Source: 2018 Annual Report of the German Press Council

Decisions of the press council

Mohammed cartoons

The German Press Council considers it permissible to reprint the controversial Danish Mohammed cartoons . "Religious communities and their members have to endure criticism - even severe criticism." The press council is convinced that the publications in words and pictures do not violate the limits set out in the press code.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ FAZ of March 22, 2017
  2. ↑ The Press Code , accessed on March 23, 2017
  3. ↑ Press council complaints now also possible online , press release of the press council dated December 30, 2008
  4. ↑ presserat.de
  5. ↑ FAZ.NET with dpa: What the press writes about offenders. In: FAZ.net . March 22, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2018 .
  6. ↑ German Press Council - Instructions for Complaints
  7. ↑ German Press Council - online complaint form for a violation of the press code
  8. ^ Norbert Linke: Press and Radio Code . Federal Agency for Civic Education
  9. ↑ Press Council spokeswoman Ilka Desgranges, quoted from taz , August 3, 2004
  10. ↑ Karin Wenk: No patent remedies for violent photos . In: People make media . 53rd year, no. 11 , 2004, p. 12–13 ( mmm.verdi.de [PDF; 1,2 MB ]).
  11. ↑ Medien Monitor - Mr. Köhler, help! In: archive.is . September 5, 2012 ( Medien Monitor - Herr Köhler, help! ( Memento of November 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) [accessed on May 22, 2017]).
  12. ↑ Horst Pöttker : Press Code. No more self-censorship. In: The time . No. 41/2013.
  13. ^ Press portal: "Bild" boss Tanit Koch: Press code enables "unjustified self-censorship".
  14. ↑ NDR.de:Press Code remains unchanged
  15. ↑ Zeit.de: Press Council fends off changes to the press code.
  16. ↑ Sächsische.de: Facts against rumors
  17. ↑ Annual report 2018. German Press Council. In: presserat.de. Sponsoring Association of the German Press Council, p. 13 , accessed on June 20, 2019 .
  18. ^ Decision of the Press Council on Mohammed cartoons, March 2, 2006. In: FAZ ; Retrieved December 9, 2011