Ch4’s decision to ban nonpolitical journalists from tweeting about politics is a step in the right direction and other broadcasters should follow its lead. However there is so much more that needs to be done to improve impartiality and accuracy in broadcasting. My checklist:
1) always make impartiality the number one priority or it will take second place to other considerations
2) on social media and broadcast it should not be possible to work out any journalist’s political views
2) on social media and broadcast it should not be possible to work out any journalist’s political views
3) on Twitter look at your tweets in the round, check they don’t all point in one direction
4) never like or retweet partisan comments that lean either left or right
5) ask yourself: am I providing a service that will be as congenial to a Telegraph reader as a Guardian reader
4) never like or retweet partisan comments that lean either left or right
5) ask yourself: am I providing a service that will be as congenial to a Telegraph reader as a Guardian reader
6) you can’t be both an impartial journalist and commentator - choose one or the other
7) only say what you actually know. Journalists should apply the same standards of accuracy and fact checking on Twitter as they do on broadcast
7) only say what you actually know. Journalists should apply the same standards of accuracy and fact checking on Twitter as they do on broadcast
8) don’t pretend you can predict the future - you can’t and your guess isn’t news
9) show some humility - you probably don’t know as much as the person you are criticising
10) don’t judge the success of an interview by retweets. It will distort how you conduct the interview
9) show some humility - you probably don’t know as much as the person you are criticising
10) don’t judge the success of an interview by retweets. It will distort how you conduct the interview
11) audiences want to know what’s going on, not just what’s going wrong
12) the role of interviewer is to ask the questions the audience would ask if they had the chance. It should not become a game designed to embarrass the politician or raise the profile of the presenter
12) the role of interviewer is to ask the questions the audience would ask if they had the chance. It should not become a game designed to embarrass the politician or raise the profile of the presenter
13) programme editors should constantly ask themselves will this running order look fair and reasonable to viewers with different political views to their own
14) avoid group think and metropolitan bias by regularly talking and listening to people outside the bubble
14) avoid group think and metropolitan bias by regularly talking and listening to people outside the bubble
15) avoid loaded language, it gives away your bias
16) in a democracy there are many ways politicians are held to account, not least in Parliament. So not every interview has to be the Spanish Inquisition
16) in a democracy there are many ways politicians are held to account, not least in Parliament. So not every interview has to be the Spanish Inquisition
17) there are lots of media outlets wanting to interview politicians. Programmes must avoid a sense of entitlement - you can’t always get what you want
18) empty chairing guests should only be done in exceptional circumstances & programmes should avoid becoming part of the story
18) empty chairing guests should only be done in exceptional circumstances & programmes should avoid becoming part of the story
19) presenters and reporters should avoid speaking engagements (paid or unpaid) where there could be a perceived conflict of interest
20) impartiality applies to everything, not just politics. Just because you think your opinion is common sense doesn’t mean you can express it on broadcast
21) all broadcasters are covered by the Ofcom code on accuracy and impartiality. Understand that and act accordingly
21) all broadcasters are covered by the Ofcom code on accuracy and impartiality. Understand that and act accordingly
