1.2 Our editorial values
Our audiences
trust us and they expect us to adhere to the highest editorial standards.
We have a right to
freedom of expression, included in the Charter and protected under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. This freedom is at the heart of the BBC’s
independence. Our audiences have a right to receive creative material, information and ideas without interference. But our audiences also expect us to balance our right to freedom of expression with our responsibilities to our audiences and to our contributors, subject to restrictions in law.
We operate in the
public interest – reporting stories of significance to our audiences and holding power to account. In our journalism in particular,
we seek to establish the truth and use the highest reporting standards to provide coverage that is fair and accurate. Our specialist expertise provides professional judgement and clear analysis. We are
impartial, seeking to reflect the views and experiences of our audiences – so that our output as a whole includes a breadth and diversity of opinion and no significant strand of thought is under-represented or omitted. We are independent of outside interests and arrangements that could compromise our
editorial integrity. Our editorial standards do not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles.
Free speech enables the exchange of information and ideas without state interference. It helps to inform public debate – encouraging us to be curious, engaged and critical. It allows, for example, dramatists, satirists and comedians to comment on the world around us. However, freedom of expression is not an absolute right – it carries duties and responsibilities and is also subject to legal restrictions and limits.
In exercising freedom of expression, we must offer appropriate
protection to vulnerable groups and
avoid causing unjustifiable offence. We must also respect people’s
privacy – only putting private information into the public domain where the public interest outweighs an individual’s legitimate expectation of privacy.
We have a particular responsibility towards children and young people and must preserve their right to speak out and be heard. Where they contribute to or feature in our output, we must take due care to ensure that their dignity and their physical and emotional welfare are protected.
(See
Section 9 Children and Young People as Contributors: 9.1)
As members of our audiences, they have a right to access information and ideas; however, we must ensure that content that might be unsuitable for them is scheduled appropriately.