On the eve of its General Assembly, EBU issues editorial principles for public service media

The EBU has drawn up a set of Editorial Principles as a guiding document from which all EBU Members can take inspiration for their professional conduct and output.

The Principles derive from the ‘Declaration on Public Service Media Values’, which was adopted at the 2012 summer EBU General Assembly, in Strasbourg. They require all PSM staff to be impartial and independent; fair and respectful; accurate and relevant and connected and accountable.

Former Editor in Chief of NOS News (Netherlands), Hans Laroes, has led the process and will present the Principles to the EBU membership at the upcoming General Assembly, on December 6 -7.

Mr Laroes said many Members had wanted the EBU to take the lead on professional values and ethics, and the Editorial Principles were the response.

“These Principles outline professional standards that upstanding public service media ought to abide by,” he said. “Although many EBU Members already have equivalent documents in-house, many others do not. Now they all have the option to apply the text, wholly or in part, to their working lives, or to use it as a catalyst for a professional discussion.”