I'm indebted to Adrian Monck for pointing to a speech by Jim Lehrer, the presenter of NewsHour, the US public service news programme. Here are his journalistic "personal guidelines":
Do nothing I cannot defend.
Cover, write, and present every story with the care I would want if the story were about me.
Assume there is at least one other side or version to every story.
Assume the viewer is as smart, and as caring, and as good a person as I am.
Assume the same about all people on whom I report.
Assume personal lives are a private matter unless a legitimate turn in the story absolutely mandates otherwise.
Carefully separate opinion and analysis from straight news stories and clearly label everything.
Do not use anonymous sources or blind quotes except on rare and monumental occasions.
No one should ever be allowed to attack another anonymously.
And finally, I am not in the entertainment business.
Now, some journalists may feel this is: a) self-righteous twaddle; b) teaching one's grandmother to suck eggs; or c) ok for the United States but not for Britain. "I know it might sound a tad sanctimonious," says Monck, "but I like it!" And so do I. Do you?
