“When 60 years ago the UN worked on the UDHR text, it took 1400 separate votes – on each definition, on every word. I think this is a good lesson for journalists. Human beings and human rights are at the core of journalism in general. But the key characteristic of good journalists is the responsibility for each and every word and image they choose. We really want our Awards to help highlight new names of talented and responsible journalists across our entire vast and diverse world”
Manana Aslamazyan, Executive Director of Internews Europe and a Member of the Academy of Russian Television.

The Every Human Has Rights Media Awards recognise individuals who use their voice and influence in the media, while applying the highest professional standards, to promote respect for the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The sixtieth anniversary of the Declaration during 2008 is a time for renewed attention and commitment to international human rights standards and principles. The Declaration is a ‘common standard’, that all Member States of the United Nations pledged to uphold. Yet six decades after its adoption on 10 December 1948, genocide is still taking place, hundreds of millions are trapped in lives of extreme poverty. More must be done to remind the world of our shared values and shared responsibilities if we are to realise all human rights for all people.

Organisations from around the world have joined together in The Every Human Has Rights Campaign to inspire global conversations on the importance of the fundamental rights proposed in The Universal Declaration to addressing today’s global challenges. The EHHR Media Awards are a key part of those conversations.

Journalists have an essential role to play in promoting understanding of human rights, and in exposing human rights abuses where they are taking place. They both bear witness on behalf of the public and monitor human rights violations. They can help by educating their communities, so that their audiences can claim their rights and freedoms. In their own work, journalists are guided by high ethical standards which -- while not collected in a single document -- are nonetheless as universal as the Declaration and are widely recognised around the world from east to west, north to south.

Journalistic independence requires that codes of ethics or codes of conduct must be drawn up by the professionals themselves. The common themes that can be found in these codes of ethics around the world center on the following core principles:

a. Truthfulness
Always seek to find the truth and never fabricate facts, even if only to add colour to your story; do not withhold material details of a story unless they threaten to harm someone, such as victims of crime or a young child; don’t present the work of someone else as your own; in audio/visual media clearly label any re-enactments and simulations.

b. Accuracy
Report facts you only witnessed yourself or can attribute to a source, be it a public record, an individual, or another news report; use more than one source and avoid anonymous ones, except in exceptional circumstances; correct mistakes as soon as they are apparent

c. Objectivity, fairness and impartiality
Allow all perspectives on an issue to be presented in your story; allow those who are attacked or accused of impropriety to respond; in news reports convey facts and not your opinion or political leanings, nor those of someone who seeks to unduly influence you, unless properly attributed; clearly separate news from opinion; clearly separate news and opinion from advertising

d. Public accountability
Maintain your independence at all times, bound only by your journalistic ethics and the editorial principles of your news organisation; disclose your relationship with a person or organisation that you cover; disclose your news organisation’s business relationships with the subjects of your report; do not accept payment or gifts for covering a story or covering it in a certain way

e. Limitation of harm
Respect the privacy of those you cover, especially children; protect your sources, don’t include facts immaterial to your story that could harm reputations; show good taste; respect the diversity of your audiences; withhold hate messages and content which can provoke violence and strife; be sensitive when interviewing those affected by tragedy and grief; treat those accused of crime as innocent until proven guilty

These principles are among those that our judges will use as criteria to choose the best examples of journalistic practice in the coverage of human rights.