There are no clear-cut or definitive rules about reporting in this area. As Robert Pullan highlights in his article on Reporting Race Issues most news editors and senior journalists say they make relevance and sensitivity judgements on a case by case, story by story basis.
However, you may find the following checklist useful in coming to your own decisions:
- Is race, ethnicity or religion relevant to the story?
- Is the piece accurate and factual?
- Is the opinion/editorial comment clearly delineated from fact?
- Is there another side to the story and where possible have comments been sought from alternative sources?
- What is the impact of highlighting conflict, violence or crime within a particular racial, ethnic or religious group?
- Are the visuals or headlines relevant to and congruent with the story?
- Have sensitivities and protocols been checked in the use of language generally and particularly in the naming of individuals, organisations or cultural practices?
- Is the piece free of inflammatory language?
Previous page | Top of this page | Main Contents | Next page
