Professional Ethics

The media organisation is guided by the following principles in its work:

• the editorial team must uphold the principles of objectivity, accuracy, impartiality and integrity;
• information must not be presented without verification or assurance of its accuracy;
• facts and events must not be presented in a one-sided manner;
• defamation, insults and hate speech must not be permitted;
• the standards of the state language must be observed;
• journalists must refrain from using vulgar expressions and slang in their material;
• editorial policy must under no circumstances conflict with the principles of statehood, society's national and moral values, public morality or the protection of the institution of the family;
• issues relating to civil rights, solidarity, democracy and equal opportunities must be approached with sensitivity;
• the editorial team must seek to protect national and public interests and must not permit content that offends people's religious beliefs or dignity;
• state symbols must be treated with respect;
• the promotion of terrorism, violence, cruelty or discrimination on grounds of nationality, race, religion or sex must not be permitted;
• actions contrary to the protection of health and the environment must not be promoted;
• freedom of information, transparency, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and pluralism must not be undermined;
• material must be presented accurately and with consideration for as wide a range of perspectives as possible;
• journalists must remain mindful of their educational mission and develop this aspect of their work;
• sound critical thinking, grounded in verified facts, must underpin the approach to events;
• information about violence, crime and other threats to people's safety must be covered appropriately, without promoting them or falling under their influence;
• information, including images, that harms vulnerable groups or the physical, mental and moral development of children and minors must not be used;
• in matters concerning children, the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Protection of Children from Harmful Information must be followed;
• in reports concerning a sexual offence against a child, the child's identity must be kept confidential;
• details of people's race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness, or disability must not be disclosed unless directly relevant to the subject;
• appropriate age restriction indicators must be applied to published material where necessary;
• the promotion of parapsychology, superstition and superstitious beliefs must not be permitted;
• reports of suicide attempts must not contain descriptions that encourage imitation, and the subject must be approached with particular sensitivity;
• journalists must respect the right of anyone suspected of a crime to be presumed innocent.

• news and commentary must be distinguished, and their sources must be clearly identified;
• in their commentary, journalists must adhere to the rules of professional conduct and the fundamental principles of journalism;
• when publishing material by an external contributor, the editorial team must include a note at the end stating that “the author's views may not reflect those of the editorial team”;
• journalists must not distort the views they quote;
• advertising material must be distinguished from editorial and contributor content and explicitly labelled as advertising;
• journalists may refuse an editorial assignment if it conflicts with the law or professional ethics;
• if a journalist's views have been distorted during editing, they may withdraw their authorship of the material.

• preference must be given to transparent, credible and accurate sources;
• a source's identity must be kept confidential if they do not wish it to be disclosed because doing so could harm their work or them personally;
• editors, as well as reporters, must have information about confidential sources in order to assess them. If a source wishes to remain entirely anonymous, the information provided may be published only if it is in the public interest and is corroborated by other sources;
• factual information must be verified through at least two separate and mutually independent sources;
• a confidential source may be disclosed only at the request of a court;
• sources must be treated fairly, and statements must not be taken out of context.

• The purpose of correcting errors in material published as editorial content on audiovisual and digital platforms and in print media is to respond promptly and explain what was incorrect and what is correct as clearly and swiftly as possible. Users must be able to understand how and why an error was corrected;
• Once an error has been corrected, labels such as “correction” or “editorial note” must be used to explain the change;
• Correction – If an article, photograph, piece of information, headline, graphic element, video or other material is substantially corrected, the change must be explained;
• Editorial note – If public allegations arise that material fails to meet professional standards, an explanation must be provided under an “editorial note” to clarify the matter;
• The editorial team must not delete material it has published or broadcast. Where information has been overlooked or updated, appropriate additions must be made to ensure the material is comprehensive;
• The Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Media must be consulted to clarify any issues concerning the principles and details of issuing rebuttals.

• plagiarism and copyright infringement must not be permitted;
• when using material from another media organisation, the source must be credited;
• journalists must clearly distinguish between their own observations and information obtained from other sources;
• journalists may not offer material prepared for their editorial team to others without the agreement of the management of the media outlet for which they work;
• In disputed cases, reference must be made to the Law on Copyright and the provisions of the Law on Media concerning copyright protection.

• journalists must demonstrate professional conduct when using social media and must not engage in actions that could damage the reputation or standing of the media organisation they represent;
• when a media organisation publishes audio, photographs, video or other material taken from social networks, consideration must be given to the interests and privacy of those featured who have not made the material available for public sharing;
• attention must be paid to the public significance of information taken from social networks and to the author's status, and the information must also be verified through additional sources;
• journalists must not make their unpublished material a subject of discussion on social networks without the permission of the editorial team they represent.

Serious journalism cannot exist without media ethics. The standards of professional ethics include the following:

• journalists must under no circumstances accept gifts in connection with their professional activities;
• invitations to events that are not open to the public must not be accepted;
• journalists must not prepare material on someone else's behalf;
• the disclosure of information protected as an editorial secret is prohibited;
• journalists must not undertake any obligation intended to restrict their professional activities;
• relationships among editorial staff, as well as between management and employees, must be healthy, lawful and transparent;
• journalists must remain committed to the principles of professional solidarity;
• editorial staff must safeguard the reputation of the media organisation they represent in their conduct and activities outside the workplace.