1. The principle of truthfulness of information.
    The journalist disseminates and comments only on information that he is convinced is reliable and whose source is well known to him. The journalist has no right to deliberately provide incomplete, distorted, false, or inaccurate information. The worst violation of the norms of journalistic ethics is slander. The journalist must clearly distinguish between facts and opinions, versions, rumors, or assumptions. In addition, he has no right to use illegal methods of acquiring information.
  2. The principle of “do no harm.
    The journalist must be fully aware of the danger of restrictions, harassment and violence that may be provoked by his activities. He or she shall respect the honor and dignity of the heroes of his or her articles and shall refrain from all derogatory insinuations or commentaries regarding race, nationality, skin color, religion, social origin, sex, physical disability or illness, and from the use of offensive words that may be harmful to the moral or physical well-being of others. The journalist is obliged to respect the “presumption of innocence” (the accused is not considered a criminal until proven guilty) and not to name relatives and friends of the accused of a crime, and especially the victims (these rules are particularly strictly observed when a journalistic report may affect the interests of minors). Also, the journalist is obliged to respect the right of the source of information not to provide information in general and about himself/herself in particular and not to answer the journalist’s questions (the right to anonymity and confidentiality).
  3. Principle of objectivity and independence.
    It is ethically unacceptable to combine journalistic and advertising activities. A journalist has no right to combine his/her work with holding positions in the bodies of state administration, legislative or judicial power, as well as in the governing bodies of political parties and other politically oriented organizations. The journalist’s professional activity ceases the moment he or she picks up a weapon.
  4. Principle of Respect for Authors’ Rights.
    The journalist must observe the laws of fair competition and avoid situations that might affect the personal or professional interests of his colleagues. He shall respect the rights of authorship in any sphere of creative activity. Plagiarism (“theft” and appropriation of other people’s intellectual property or products of other people’s work) is absolutely inadmissible.