Independent voices. Shared standards. Based in Spain · Connected across borders
MEDIA-SOCIETY.COM — Press & Creators Network
Media-Society.com

Professional & Accreditation Rules

RULES FOR MEMBERS, PROFESSIONALS AND ACCREDITED PERSONS

MEDIA-SOCIETY.COM PRESS & CREATORS NETWORK INTERNATIONAL

English translation for accessibility. The Spanish text published as Reglamento is the authoritative version unless the Association formally decides otherwise.

CHAPTER I

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Article 1. Purpose

These Rules govern:

  1. professional members of the network;

  2. journalists and correspondents;

  3. photographers and video journalists;

  4. editors and creators;

  5. contributors;

  6. credential holders;

  7. persons carrying out editorial assignments in the name of or under the coverage of Media-Society.com.

Article 2. Categories

For the purposes of these Rules, the following categories are distinguished:

1. Association member: a person who is legally a member of the Association.

2. Professional member of the network: a professional admitted to Media-Society.com, whether or not an Association member.

3. Contributor: a person who collaborates or performs work for the network without necessarily belonging to it.

4. Accredited person: the holder of a valid credential.

5. Professional on assignment: a person entrusted by a network publication with a specific coverage assignment.

These statuses may coincide in the same person, but none automatically implies any of the others.

CHAPTER II

GENERAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Article 3. Commitment to human rights

Members and accredited persons shall carry out their professional activity with respect for the inherent dignity of every person and for internationally recognised human rights.

Particular attention shall be paid to respect for:

  1. freedom of expression;

  2. freedom of information;

  3. freedom of thought;

  4. freedom of conscience;

  5. freedom of religion or belief;

  6. freedom of political opinion;

  7. equality and non-discrimination;

  8. privacy and private life;

  9. honour and reputation;

  10. the right to one’s own image;

  11. freedom of association;

  12. copyright and creative rights.

Article 4. Equality and non-discrimination

No person shall be treated unfavourably within Media-Society.com solely because of:

  • race;
  • colour;
  • ethnic or national origin;
  • nationality;
  • sex;
  • sexual orientation;
  • gender identity or expression;
  • age;
  • disability;
  • language;
  • social status;
  • religion;
  • denomination;
  • beliefs;
  • absence of beliefs;
  • change of religion;
  • political opinions;
  • philosophical ideas;
  • membership or non-membership of lawful organisations;
  • or any other personal status protected by law.

Article 5. Personal freedom of members

Media-Society.com recognises that its journalists and creators may be:

  • believers or non-believers;
  • religious, agnostic or atheist;
  • conservative, liberal, social democratic, green, or hold any other lawful political position;
  • independent or not identify with any current.

Such personal positions shall not in themselves constitute grounds to accept, reject, suspend or withdraw an accreditation.

CHAPTER III

RELIGION, BELIEF AND IDEOLOGY

Article 6. Respect for persons on grounds of religion or belief

It shall not be acceptable to use a Media-Society.com publication, assignment or credential to:

  1. dehumanise persons because of their religion or belief;

  2. portray members of a religion as collectively responsible for acts committed by individuals;

  3. attribute negative characteristics to a person solely because of their religious affiliation;

  4. promote discrimination against believers or non-believers;

  5. promote hostility or violence against persons because of their religion or beliefs;

  6. deliberately ridicule a person where the predominant purpose is to humiliate them because of their religious identity.

Article 7. Equality among religions and convictions

These principles shall apply equally to:

  • majority religions;
  • minority religions;
  • historical religions;
  • new religious movements;
  • non-theistic beliefs;
  • agnostic positions;
  • atheism;
  • persons with no religious affiliation.

The size, age, popularity or social recognition of a religion shall not determine the degree of respect due to its members.

Article 8. Legitimate criticism of religions and institutions

These Rules do not prohibit:

  1. investigating a religion;

  2. investigating a religious organisation;

  3. investigating its leaders;

  4. reporting on controversies;

  5. analysing doctrines;

  6. questioning beliefs;

  7. reporting allegations;

  8. criticising practices;

  9. publishing commentary or opinions;

  10. legitimate satire.

Religious institutions, like political, business or social institutions, may be subject to journalistic scrutiny.

The ethical limit shall not be determined merely by the fact that someone considers criticism offensive, but by factors such as deliberate falsehood, discrimination, dehumanisation, harassment or incitement against persons.

Article 9. Terminology concerning religions and groups

Members should seek to avoid derogatory, stigmatising or imprecise terms as a substitute for factual description.

Where a controversial designation — for example, a characterisation used by critics, authorities, former members or other actors — is relevant to the reporting, reasonable efforts should be made to:

  1. identify who uses that designation;

  2. not automatically convert that opinion into a fact;

  3. provide the necessary context;

  4. provide, where relevant, the position of the affected group.

Article 10. Politics and ideology

The same principles shall apply to reporting on political opinions.

A person shall not be discriminated against or dehumanised solely because of their lawful political views.

Criticism of:

  • political parties;
  • governments;
  • politicians;
  • ideologies;
  • movements;
  • public policies;

forms part of the normal exercise of journalism.

CHAPTER IV

JOURNALISTIC DUTIES

Article 11. Accuracy and verification

Members shall make reasonable efforts to:

  1. verify facts;

  2. identify the origin of information;

  3. use reliable sources;

  4. cross-check relevant claims;

  5. avoid presenting rumours as confirmed facts;

  6. acknowledge uncertainty where it exists.

Speed of publication shall not justify knowingly publishing false information.

Article 12. Information, analysis and opinion

Reasonable efforts should be made to distinguish clearly between:

factual information, analysis, opinion, advertising, sponsored content, and propaganda or institutional communication.

Opinion is legitimate and may be firm or critical, but it shall not deliberately present invented facts as its factual basis.

Article 13. Serious allegations

Before publishing serious allegations against a person or organisation, reasonable efforts should be made to:

  1. reasonably verify the information;

  2. distinguish between allegation and proven fact;

  3. indicate the status of any judicial proceedings where relevant;

  4. reasonably seek the position of the affected person or organisation where circumstances permit.

Lack of response shall not necessarily prevent publication.

Article 14. Right of reply and correction

Relevant material errors shall be corrected appropriately and with sufficient visibility.

Requests for correction or reply shall be examined in good faith and, where appropriate, forwarded to the responsible editor.

There shall be no obligation to amend information solely because it is critical of or unpleasant to the person concerned.

Article 15. Sources

Confidentiality promised to a source shall be respected except in the case of:

  1. authorisation by the source;

  2. a mandatory legal obligation;

  3. exceptional circumstances involving serious danger that justify professional and legal reconsideration.

Article 16. Methods of obtaining information

As a general rule, journalists shall identify themselves correctly when contacting third parties in a professional capacity.

The use of concealed identity, hidden recordings or other exceptional methods shall require an editorial justification based on a significant public interest and the reasonable impossibility of obtaining the information by ordinary means.

Article 17. Privacy and dignity

The public interest shall be weighed before publishing:

  1. intimate information;

  2. medical data;

  3. family information;

  4. a private home address;

  5. images taken in private contexts;

  6. sensitive personal data.

Public curiosity does not necessarily amount to public interest.

Article 18. Vulnerable persons and minors

Special care shall be taken when reporting on:

  • minors;
  • victims;
  • persons subjected to violence;
  • victims of exploitation;
  • persons in situations of particular vulnerability.

Protection of their identity may prevail over other interests where there is insufficient journalistic justification for identifying them.

CHAPTER V

INDEPENDENCE

Article 19. Conflicts of interest

Members shall avoid allowing undisclosed economic, personal, political, religious or business interests to significantly compromise their journalistic activity.

Where a relevant conflict cannot be avoided, disclosure to the editor or the public should be considered.

Article 20. Gifts and benefits

Payments, gifts or benefits intended to obtain any of the following shall not be accepted:

  1. favourable publication;

  2. removal of information;

  3. fraudulent alteration of coverage;

  4. concealment of relevant facts.

Article 21. Journalism and activism

A member may hold political, religious or social convictions and lawfully participate in public life.

However, when using a Media-Society.com credential to act as a journalist, the member shall avoid presenting as independent journalistic coverage an activity that is substantially propaganda, proselytism or political campaigning without adequately identifying its nature.

CHAPTER VI

HATRED, HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION

Article 22. Discriminatory content

Members shall seek to avoid content that promotes hatred or prejudice against persons on grounds including:

  • origin;
  • race;
  • religion;
  • beliefs;
  • political opinion;
  • sex;
  • sexual orientation;
  • disability;
  • language;
  • nationality.

Merely reporting discriminatory statements made by third parties shall not in itself constitute a breach where there is a legitimate journalistic purpose and appropriate context is provided.

Article 23. Difference between criticism and harassment

The following shall not be considered a breach in themselves:

  • disagreeing;
  • contradicting;
  • investigating;
  • questioning;
  • satirising;
  • criticising severely;
  • publishing uncomfortable facts;
  • reporting possible abuses.

It may constitute a breach to use the platform or credential repeatedly for the primary purpose of persecuting, intimidating or degrading a person because of a protected characteristic.

CHAPTER VII

IMAGES, CREATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Article 24. Visual integrity

Documentary images shall not be modified in a way that materially misleads the public about the facts they depict.

Ordinary editorial adjustments that do not alter the documentary meaning may be made.

Article 25. Artificial intelligence

Where artificial intelligence has created or substantially altered an image, video, audio or content presented in a manner that could reasonably be confused with authentic documentation, it shall be appropriately identified.

Article 26. Authorship

The following shall not be tolerated:

  1. plagiarism;

  2. false attribution;

  3. deliberate appropriation of the work of others;

  4. misleading removal of credits;

  5. presenting as one’s own a work created by another person.

CHAPTER VIII

CREDENTIALS

Article 27. Nature

A Media-Society.com credential certifies a verified professional relationship with the network during its period of validity.

It does not confer public authority or special powers.

Article 28. Granting

To obtain a credential, applicants may be asked to provide:

  1. identification;

  2. photograph;

  3. contact details;

  4. work samples;

  5. publications;

  6. references;

  7. assignments;

  8. sufficient information to verify professional activity.

Article 29. Validity

Every credential:

  1. shall have a unique identifier;

  2. shall state, or allow verification of, its period of validity;

  3. may incorporate a QR code;

  4. shall be linked to a verifiable record.

Article 30. Use

The holder shall not:

  1. lend it;

  2. transfer it;

  3. falsify it;

  4. alter it;

  5. use it after revocation;

  6. use it to impersonate an authority;

  7. claim that it guarantees access;

  8. use it fraudulently to obtain benefits unrelated to the accredited activity.

Article 31. Editorial assignments

Media-Society.com may issue assignment documents indicating:

  • the professional;
  • the publication;
  • the coverage;
  • the period;
  • the editor or responsible person;
  • a verifiable number.

An assignment confirms the commission but does not require third parties to grant access.

CHAPTER IX

COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINE

Article 32. Submission of complaints

Any person may notify Media-Society.com of a possible serious breach of these Rules by a person acting under its name or credential.

Article 33. Improper complaints

The following shall not in itself constitute a reason to open disciplinary proceedings:

  1. a person disagrees with a report;

  2. an institution considers an article unfavourable;

  3. a religion considers an investigation critical;

  4. a political party considers coverage negative;

  5. a person disagrees with a legitimate opinion.

Article 34. Procedure

Where there are sufficient indications:

  1. the complaint shall be communicated to the person concerned;
  2. that person shall be allowed to respond;
  3. documents may be requested;
  4. the full context shall be examined;
  5. a reasoned decision shall be adopted.

Article 35. Measures

The following measures may be adopted:

  1. closure without further action;

  2. editorial recommendation;

  3. warning;

  4. formal reprimand;

  5. obligation to correct factual information where appropriate;

  6. temporary suspension of certain services;

  7. suspension of a credential;

  8. revocation of a credential;

  9. proposal for expulsion where the person is also an Association member.

Article 36. Proportionality

Measures shall take into account:

  1. seriousness;

  2. intent;

  3. harm;

  4. repetition;

  5. voluntary correction;

  6. cooperation;

  7. the existence or absence of prior incidents.

Article 37. Precautionary suspension

A credential may be temporarily suspended where there are reasonable indications of:

  • falsification;
  • impersonation;
  • fraudulent use;
  • serious danger to third parties;
  • manipulation of the verification system.

A precautionary suspension shall not imply a finding of guilt.

Article 38. Review

Any person subject to a sanction may request review of the decision in accordance with the procedure established by the Board of Directors.

CHAPTER X

PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTIC FREEDOM

Article 39. Prohibition of internal ideological censorship

No member or accredited person shall be sanctioned exclusively because of:

  1. their lawful political opinions;

  2. their religion;

  3. changing religion;

  4. leaving a religion;

  5. having no religious beliefs;

  6. criticising a religion;

  7. criticising a political party;

  8. criticising Media-Society.com;

  9. investigating an entity linked to another member.

Article 40. Professional independence

No journalist shall be required by Media-Society.com to:

  1. publish something they know to be false;

  2. sign a work that is not their own;

  3. deliberately conceal relevant information;

  4. express a political or religious conviction;

  5. perform a professional act contrary to their conscience where a reasonable alternative compatible with their obligations exists.

Article 41. General clause

These Rules shall always be interpreted in a manner compatible with:

  • freedom of expression;
  • freedom of the press;
  • human rights;
  • pluralism;
  • respect for human dignity;
  • journalistic independence.

None of their provisions shall be used as a mechanism to protect powerful persons, organisations, political parties, companies, governments, religions or institutions from legitimate journalistic scrutiny.

FINAL PROVISION

Obtaining or renewing a credential may be made conditional upon express acceptance of these Rules.

Approved by the Board of Directors of MEDIA-SOCIETY.COM PRESS & CREATORS NETWORK INTERNATIONAL on [DATE].