Forecast Highs

Following the abominable story about Israeli soldiers harvesting Palestinian organs that appeared in Sweden’s largest tabloid, and the ensuing diplomatic battle between Israel and Sweden, with Israel accusing Sweden of hiding behind “freedom of expression” as an excuse not to condemn Antisemitism, here are excerpts from the Code of Conduct for Swedish journalists, as taken from the website of the Swedish Union of Journalists. By the way, the reporter of the original story, Donald Bostrom, is not a member of the Union. What a pity he cannot be held to the Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct for press, radio and TV: An expression of professional journalistic ethics

The Code of Conduct for press, radio and TV is the foundation for the self-regulatory system of Swedish press
ethics. The idea is that the media shall protect the freedom of the press and freedom of expression by setting
their own limits. If the media attempt to keep their own house in order, the risk of legislative intervention is
reduced.

Most countries have some form of ethical rules governing their media, but Sweden’s system is unique, thanks to its long tradition and due to the fact that members of the general public have a Press Ombudsman to turn to when they feel mistreated by newspapers or the broadcast media. The code, in its current form, comprises three sections: the Publicity Code, the Professional Code and the Editorial 16 Advertising Code. It has taken almost exactly one hundred years for this trinity to be formulated and brought under a single umbrella, an umbrella that goes by the name of the Swedish Press Cooperation Council.

The Swedish National Press Club (PK), the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF) and the Swedish Newspaper
Publishers’ Association (TU) all support the Code of Conduct. The rules also apply to Sveriges Radio AB,
Sveriges Television AB and Utbildningsradion AB to the extent that they can be applied with regard to the Radio Transmission Act and the programme companies’ contracts with the State. The Swedish Radio Broadcasters’ Association also supports the Code of Conduct, where applicable.

The Publicity Rules
Don’t lie. Show consideration. Those two statements are a summary of the Publicity Rules. These rules are the best known part of the trinity and the one most widely discussed, even outside of media circles, which is not particularly strange, given that their purpose is to protect individual people from harm caused by publicity = “undeserved suffering due to publicity”.

The publicity rules comprise rules specifying that news journalists provide must be correct, that they should be liberal in their treatment of people, respect their personal integrity, be cautious in their use of pictures, listen to both sides, and be careful when using names.

Professional code

The professional code acts as a set of guidelines for journalists in all media and for their editorial
departments. Another way of seeing them is as a means of protecting journalistic integrity. And even if it is the Swedish Press Cooperation Council that lies behind the code, it is the executive council of the Swedish Union of Journalists that must ensure compliance with the code and it is only the unionÕs executive council that can issue reprimands to its members if they breach the code.

The professional code is all about journalistic integrity. Journalists shall not, either as part of their work or
outside of it, accept commissions from external parties, invitations, gifts, free travel or other perks that could call into doubt their position as free and independent journalists. Their position as a journalist shall not be used
to impose pressure or to obtain personal benefits or advantages on behalf either of themselves or other
parties.

Journalists must take into consideration the provisions of journalists’ collective agreements whereby citizens may not be obliged to write contrary to their convictions or to carry out humiliating assignments. Journalists have a contractually stipulated entitlement to refuse to carry out humiliating assignments. Interviews and pictures must not be faked. Consideration shall be shown in conjunction with photography or the acquisition of pictures, particularly when they relate to crimes and accidents.