Â鶹Éç
announces stop to journalists' newspaper columns
The Â鶹Éç today
announced changes to its guidelines covering the circumstances in
which Â鶹Éç journalists, presenters and freelancers can write regular
columns for newspapers and magazines.
The changes
mean that no staff, or regular freelance journalist whose main profile
or income comes from the Â鶹Éç, will be able to write newspaper or
magazine columns on current affairs or other contentious issues.
The new arrangements
have been approved by the Â鶹Éç Governors. However, current contracts
in place mean that some columns will continue until Spring next
year.
Articles
on specific Â鶹Éç programmes that are part of an overall press and
publicity plan will be allowed, as will columns on non contentious
issues and food, film or music reviews, or syndicated articles that
appear first on Â鶹Éç News online.
But
all must still be approved by a senior manager and submitted to
the relevant publication via the Â鶹Éç Press Office.
Freelance
journalists whose main profile and income is not through the Â鶹Éç
will be exempt.
Current
staff and freelance contracts will not need amending.
Senior
news managers are already in discussion with those journalists affected,
the majority of whom are staff employees.
Director
of News Richard Sambrook said: "Impartiality is an essential
element to the Â鶹Éç's reputation and to our journalism.
"When
our journalists write in papers it is seen as an extension of their
work for the Â鶹Éç – yet columns and newspaper articles on controversial
issues depend on expressing opinions to an extent which is often
incompatible with the Â鶹Éç's impartiality.
"The
audience's trust in the independence of the Â鶹Éç's journalism on
all subjects is something we cannot afford to compromise."
The
Â鶹Éç Producer Guidelines dealing with Conflict of Interest will now
be redrafted in line with the agreed changes.
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