Sudent Media Guidelines

Definition: Currently UWESU Student Media includes the main student publications Western Eye and WestWorld, site publications such as Mutts Nutts at St Matt’s, the student radio station (the Hub) and the SU website.

Overall Approach:

• UWE student opinion is varied and diverse and Student Media is an outlet for the expression of many views even if these are in opposition to the editorial position or official view of the Students' Union and its elected officers.

• Student Media will provide a forum for debate and discussion on issues that affect the members of UWESU.

• The Union recognises the need for student led media that informs the student body on issues that affect them.

Student Media will abide by:

• Legal requirements.

• National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Code of Conduct

• The UWESU constitution and its laws.

• UWESU policies passed by the decision-making bodies of the Union.

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Code of Conduct

All contributors, editors and presenters must have read, and agreed to abide by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Code of Conduct, which defines best practice within the industry. (See end of document).

Rights of the Union:

1. The Union, its officers and staff have the right to reply to any material published or broadcast within its media which is deemed appropriate to respond to. The Student Media must provide the Union with copies of such material in advance of deadlines in order to reply within the same issue. Where this is not possible, space must be reserved in the next available edition/transmission for publication/broadcasting.
2. The Union, its officers and staff have the right to be accurately reported on.
3. The Union reserves the right to ensure that its Student Media does not produce material which contravenes Union policy.
4. The Union has the right to expect that Student Media will provide appropriate opportunities to communicate to the student body.

Responsibilities of UWESU:

1. UWESU is responsible for providing access to information, elected officers, and any other such information requested by the student media.
2. UWESU is responsible for the adequate provision of resources to the student media to ensure their continued service.

Rights of Student Media:

1. Student Media have the right to publish/broadcast content it deems newsworthy and of interest to the student body (subject to legal requirements and other limitations stated earlier in this document).
2. Student Media have the right to have access to information, elected officers of the Union, and other such material it deems newsworthy so as to better inform the student body (subject to legal and other limitations).
3. Student Media have the right to suitable support from the Union in terms of funding, equipment provision, office space and general support so as to maintain their existence and levels of service.
4. Student Media have the right of freedom of the press.

Responsibilities of Student Media:

1. To ensure all members read and abide by the NUJ Code of Conduct.
2. To ensure that all information published/broadcasted is as accurate as possible.
3. To promote the Union to the membership and to work towards the good of the student community with the Students’ Union.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ)

Code of Conduct

The NUJ's Code of Conduct has set out the main principles of British and Irish journalism since 1936. It is part of the rules [of the NUJ] and all journalists joining the union must sign that they will strive to adhere to it.

1. A journalist has a duty to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards.
2. A journalist shall at all times defend the principle of the freedom of the press and other media in relation to the collection of information and the expression of comment and criticism. He/she shall strive to eliminate distortion, news suppression and censorship.
3. A journalist shall strive to ensure that the information he/she disseminates is fair and accurate, avoid the expression of comment and conjecture as established fact and falsification by distortion, selection or misrepresentation.
4. A journalist shall rectify promptly any harmful inaccuracies, ensure that correction and apologies receive due prominence and afford the right of reply to persons criticised when the issue is of sufficient importance.
5. A journalist shall obtain information, photographs and illustrations only by straightforward means. The use of other means can be justified only by overriding considerations of the public interest. The journalist is entitled to exercise a personal conscientious objection to the use of such means.
6. A journalist shall do nothing which entails intrusion into anybody's private life, grief or distress, subject to justification by overriding considerations of the public interest.
7. A journalist shall protect confidential sources of information.
8. A journalist shall not accept bribes nor shall he/she allow other inducements to influence the performance of his/her professional duties.
9. A journalist shall not lend himself/herself to the distortion or suppression of the truth because of advertising or other considerations.
10. A journalist shall mention a person's age, sex, race, colour, creed, illegitimacy, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation only if this information is strictly relevant. A journalist shall neither originate nor process material which encourages discrimination, ridicule, prejudice or hatred on any of the above-mentioned grounds.
11. A journalist shall not interview or photograph children in connection with stories concerning their welfare without the permission of a parent or other adult responsible for their welfare.
12. No journalist shall knowingly cause or allow the publication or broadcast of a photograph that has been manipulated unless that photograph is clearly labelled as such. Manipulation does not include normal dodging, burning, colour balancing, spotting, contrast adjustment, cropping and obvious masking for legal or safety reasons.
13. A journalist shall not take private advantage of information gained in the course of his/her duties before the information is public knowledge.
14. A journalist shall not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of his/her own work or of the medium by which he/she is employed.

Source: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=174 Accessed: 13/11/06