A/HRC/41/35/Add.1 (e) Lead, together with media outlet owners, a comprehensive effort to improve standards of living and social protections for those in the profession of journalism; (f) Support the development of a journalistic code of ethics and a selfregulatory mechanism. Journalists and media outlets also have a responsibility to ensure that they produce quality reporting rooted in principles of accuracy, independence and fairness. Journalists must maintain professionalism in reporting by developing and adhering to a standardized code of ethics that they themselves develop and apply, which should include a provision on refraining from promoting discrimination. Journalists and other civil society members should create and maintain a media accountability and fact-checking system, to allow for self-regulation while building trust between the media and the public; (g) Delegate the drafting of the content of the codes of ethics, for discussion, to a press or media council, in order to include the participation of representatives of the media, academia, civil society organizations and the public. Safety of journalists 75. With regard to prevention, the Special Rapporteurs call upon the relevant authorities to: (a) Collect and publish detailed and disaggregated data regarding incidents of violence against journalists; (b) Be vocal in denouncing threats and violence against journalists and continue to recognize the legitimacy and value of the work of all journalists; (c) Establish risk maps and accurately provide information regarding potential dangers journalists may face; (d) Adopt all measures necessary to prevent the repetition of crimes against journalists in high-risk areas; (e) Provide training for journalists on the safety of journalists and protection of journalistic sources; (f) Refrain from conducting surveillance, including of a digital nature, of media outlets or journalists except under the most extreme circumstances where the principles of necessity and proportionality are met. Journalists who have been put under surveillance in the past should be alerted and any files pertaining to them should be made available to them at their request. 76. With regard to protection and accountability, the Special Rapporteurs call upon the relevant authorities to: (a) Investigate crimes against journalists thoroughly, effectively and impartially; (b) Put into operation the inter-institutional committee for the protection of journalists and other media workers, which should include stakeholders such as journalists, civil society organizations, media representatives and relatives of victims. The State should establish a policy of protection for journalists and ensure that its content is in line with international standards, providing the committee with the human and financial resources necessary to carry out its mandate. It should also take into account the specific risks faced by particularly vulnerable groups of journalists, including women journalists and community and indigenous media workers; (c) Strengthen digital security and the prohibition of digital surveillance of journalists and their sources. States have positive obligations to protect digital communications systems against cyberattacks and to bolster digital safety and security for those who are at risk of such attacks, including journalists; 16

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents