Media Outlet Hong Kong Free Press Date of first publication 20/02/2024 Date of Latest Change 20/02/2024

9. Accountability for Journalism Principles

9.1. Editorial Guidelines

A Media Outlet shall produce a set of Editorial Guidelines or adhere to an external set of guidelines (for example the Model Editorial Guidelines provided as a reference document to this Standard), to which its journalistic operations comply. They should govern meaningful principles of journalistic content, dissemination and conduct. These guidelines, and the identity of the person or group of persons with ultimate responsibility for them within its organisation, shall be made available to the public in a readily accessible and understandable form. Best practice is to have these guidelines available publicly rather than on request.

Does your Media Outlet have a set of guidelines, or adhere to an external set of guidelines, for journalistic content, distribution and conduct to which its journalistic operations comply?

Yes

Are they made available to the public in a readily accessible form?

Yes

What is the URL?

https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/

Is there a person or a group of persons responsible for these guidelines clearly identified?

Yes

Is that identification visible on the page with the guidelines?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

Yes, in the top-left grey box: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/ "HKFP wishes to thank AFP, who allowed HKFP to use their guidelines as a basis for our first draft, and the Trust Project for helping expand them. This page is maintained by HKFP director Tom Grundy."

9.2. Purpose of Guidelines

A Media Outlet shall ensure that these Editorial Guidelines set clear expectations of the behaviour it requires from its own staff, its contractors and from all other contributors to its editorial content. It should also set out the structure of responsibility within the organisation, making sure it is clear who is accountable for each stage of the process that leads to publication.

Do the guidelines referred to in the section on Editorial Guidelines set clear expectations for the behaviour for all the contributors, including editorial staff (journalists, editors) and all other contributors?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

Yes, in great detail: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/

Do the guidelines referred to in the section on Editorial Guidelines make clear the structure of editorial responsibility for each stage of the publication process within the organisation?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

As shown here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#masthead-staff with full bios and responsibilities laid our in staff bios here: https://hongkongfp.com/about/#staff-roster

9.3. Guidelines and Journalism Principles

A Media Outlet shall ensure that these Editorial Guidelines embody the core ethical principles of journalism. The Editorial Guidelines may impose specific requirements in addition to these core ethical principles; but any additional requirements shall not compromise these core ethical principles as described in the Preamble of this document.

Do your Editorial Guidelines include requirements for Accuracy (as prescribed in the Preamble) in your output?

Yes

What is the URL?

Yes, detailed section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#accuracy

Do they include requirements for Independence (as prescribed in the Preamble) of editorial decision making?

Yes

What is the URL?

There are references to editorial and structural (corporate) independence throughout our ethics code: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics

Do they include requirements of Fairness (as prescribed in the Preamble) in the practice of journalism?

Yes

What is the URL?

An explicit section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Balance-and-fairness

Do they include requirements for Accountability (as prescribed in the Preamble) in the practice of its journalism?

Yes

What is the URL?

Our ethics code includes references to journalistic, and financial, accountability: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics

9.4. Conflicts of Interest

Editorial Guidelines shall ensure that there are no conflicts of interests – real, potential or perceived – damaging the integrity of the story or the editorial independence of those working on it. They should have guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to political, business and personal interests. Editorial structures should protect the journalism from any undue influence by the Media Outlet’s executive management or ownership authorities outside the formal editorial process and from any external interests, commercial, social or political.

Do your Editorial Guidelines include protections against real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

An explicit section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Conflicts-of-interest

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to business?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

An explicit section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Conflicts-of-interest

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to political interests?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

An explicit section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Conflicts-of-interest

Do the guidelines include guidance on how to deal with conflicts related to personal interests?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

An explicit section here: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Conflicts-of-interest And a section on hospitality: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Hospitality

Does the Media Outlet’s structure protect the editorial processes from any undue influence from within or without?

Yes

If you want to publish additional information, please provide it here.

We are a non-profit limited by guarantee company, meaning we have no shareholders who can influence us: https://hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/#Ownership-and-launch It cannot be bought. We decline large donations, and refuse contributions from governments. We are not owned by any umbrella group, conglomerate or business tycoon. We will only ever accept a contribution of money or gear from a grant-making body or institution if they agree in writing never to interfere in our editorial independence or output. Commercial and editorial content is firewalled.
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