Our editorial policies
The ABC Editorial Policies set out the ABC’s self-regulatory standards and how the Corporation enforces them. They are also the source for the ABC Code of Practice, which the ABC notifies to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The ABC Board amends the Editorial Policies from time to time to meet changing needs and circumstances including legislation affecting the ABC, and the booklet is updated regularly to incorporate new material. The latest review followed the adoption by the ABC Board of the recommendations of the ABC Self Regulation Framework Review. The 2011 edition of the Editorial Policies comprises:
- a booklet setting out the principles and standards to guide editorial decision-making and content creation;
- associated standards that deal with specific topics (such as television program classification);
- guidance notes to assist content makers and complaint handlers to apply the standards in the many and varied circumstances that arise for a public broadcaster;
- a glossary of terms.
The Editorial Policies are distributed amongst all staff. An awareness of the required standards is essential for all who have editorial responsibility for ABC content. A copy of the documents comprising Editorial Policies and the ABC’s Code of Practice can be downloaded from this page. This page also includes information on how complaints can be made and procedures for how they are handled.
The Editorial Policies enable content makers and the public to understand the editorial and ethical principles that are fundamental to the ABC. They are developed with the experience of ABC content makers and take account of the requirements of current legislation and regulation. Most importantly, they seek to reflect the standards that ABC audiences can reasonably expect of their national broadcaster.
The Editorial Policies offer a frame of reference as well as, on occasions, a check list of considerations aimed at helping content makers to make difficult judgements for themselves and to explain their reasons for those judgements.
ABC Editorial Policies & ABC Code of Practice
Current versions:
- Editorial Policies (as at 11 April 2011) and amended section 11 (effective August 2013)
- Television Program Classification – associated standard (as at 1 February 2014)
- Code of Practice (as at 1 February 2014)
Superseded versions:
- Television Program Classification – associated standard (as at 1 January 2013)
- Code of Practice (as at 1 January 2013)
- Editorial Policies (as at 1 March 2009)
- Code of Practice (as at 11 April 2011)
- Code of Practice (as at 1 July 2008)
- Television Program Classification – associated standard (as at 11 April 2011)
Guidance
- Accuracy
- Addresses to the nation – protocol and template letters (PM request and Opposition Leader offer)
- Advertising and sponsorship – ABC Commercial
- Attribution / anonymity of sources
- Chequebook journalism / Paying for interviews
- Children and young people: Managing their participation in broadcast
- Children and young people: Managing their participation online
- Coarse or offensive language on radio
- Competitions and prizes
- Consulting ABC Legal and handling external requests for access to contentious program material
- Corrective Actions
- Credits
- Differentiating between factual reporting, analysis and opinion
- Elections
- Factual drama
- Fair opportunity to respond
- Free or discounted products, services or facilities
- Glossary
- Harm and Offence
- Impartiality
- Managing external funding in broadcast television
- Moderating user generated content
- Operating official ABC social media accounts
- Personal use of social media
- Removing online content
- Secret recording devices in news, current affairs and other factual content
- Suicide and self-harm
- Use in news reports of pictures from social networking sites
- Use of Social Media Policy
Complaints Procedures
- Complaint Handling Procedures (as at 11 April 2011)
- How to make a Code Complaint – see the back page of the Code of Practice
Reviews & Discussion Papers
- Community Attitudes towards Coarse Language in the Media – Research Report (July 2011)
- Review of the ABC’s Self-Regulation Framework (September 2009)
- Review of the ABC’s Self-Regulation Framework (November 2008)
- Sources and Conflicts – Final report (July 2008)
- User-Generated Content – Discussion Starter (June 2008)
- Key Words – Short looks at some big concepts that govern the ABC (March 2008)
- Elements of Impartiality – Discussion paper (September 2007, updated November 2007)
- Blogging – A Consultation Paper for ABC Staff (July 2007)
Editorial Reviews
- Editorial Review No 1 (January 2014)
- News Division Response to Editorial Review No 1 (March 2014)
- Radio Division Response to Editorial Review No 1 (March 2014)
- Editorial Review No 2 (January 2014)
- News Division Response to Editorial Review No 2 (March 2014)
- Statement from ABC Chairman, James Spigelman
- Editorial Review No 3 (August 2014)
- Radio Division Response to Editorial Review No 3 (August 2014)
- Editorial Review No 4 (February 2015)
- News Division Response to Editorial Review No 4 (Feburary 2015)
Quality Assurance Reports & Papers
- Accuracy – a manual for quality assurance (July 2010)
- QA Project 10: Accuracy (Radio News II) (June 2009)
- QA Project 9: Impartiality (Election Coverage) (June 2009)
- QA Project 7: Impartiality (TV News Content) (July 2009)
- QA Project 6: Accuracy (Radio News) (March 2009)
- Independent reviews of QA projects 3, 4 and 5, with responses by the projects’ manager (December 2008)
- QA Project 5: Impartiality (Opinion Content) (July 2008)
- QA Project 4: Impartiality (Topical and Factual Content) (July 2008)
- QA Project 3: Impartiality (News Content) (July 2008)
- QA Project 2: Accuracy – Final Report (April 2008)
- QA Project 2: Accuracy – Description and Method (October 2007)
- QA Project 1: Verification of Corrective Actions – Final Report (April 2008)
Speeches & Other Publications
- Adapting a public broadcaster’s self regulation for the convergence era, speech by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick at the RIPE@2012 Conference, Sydney, 5 September 2012
- Threads, presentation by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick, Panel discussion The Ethical Journalist Online at the Melbourne Writers Festival, The Wheeler Centre, 3 September 2010
- Hazards of compression, presentation by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick at Ethically speaking: media and journalism, Panel discussion co-hosted by The Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing, Ideas and Centre for Advanced Journalism, University of Melbourne, 17 February 2010
- A shared challenge, presentation by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick, Panel discussion Self regulation and the Media at the Journalism Education Association Conference 2009, Perth, 1 December 2009
- Adapting to digital technologies: Ethics and privacy, presentation by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick at the Future of Journalism Summit, Sydney, 2 May 2008
- A new transparency, address by ABC Director Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick to the Melbourne Press Club Journalism Conference, 6 September 2007
- Legitimacy requires accountability, Opinion piece by ABC Director of Editorial Policies Paul Chadwick, The Walkley Magazine, 15 February 2007