ONA Issues

Religion Newswriters Resolution
Covering Religious Freedom and Conflict in Myanmar
November 11-15, 2014
Yangon, Myanmar

As Myanmar journalists, we vow to adhere to our profession’s principles of honesty, fairness, accuracy, transparency, and thoroughness. When reporting and editing on religion, religious freedom and conflict, we resolve to:

1.     Develop our knowledge of different faiths.
2.     Avoid mentioning religious affiliation when it is not relevant to a story.
3.     Carefully consider word choice when referring to followers of different faiths.
4.     Not let our personal beliefs influence the objectivity of our reporting.
5.     Pass stories on to colleagues if our beliefs make it impossible to report fairly.
6.     Not let our faiths limit the religions we cover.
7.     Always consider the motivations of our sources.
8.     Be especially diligent in verifying all details when covering sensitive news.
9.     Strive to include moderate voices in our reporting, not just the extremes.
10. Avoid hate speech or inflammatory words at all times, especially when reporting on religion, race, discrimination or conflict.
11. Seek out knowledgeable sources capable of providing objective information and analysis.
12. Encourage religious diversity in our newsrooms.
13. Practice the qualities of responsible, ethical journalism by minimizing harm and avoiding hearsay and rumor.