EBU Members assembled in Geneva adopted a set of Editorial Principles today that were drafted by the EBU as a professional guide for Europe’s public service media (PSM).

By ratifying the text at the 69th EBU Winter General Assembly Members agreed that the Principles would be an added benefit, especially for PSM that do not already have an equivalent document.

The Principles derive from the ‘Declaration on Public Service Media Values’, which was adopted at the 2012 summer EBU General Assembly, in Strasbourg.

They require all employees of PSM, in their professional lives, to be:

• Impartial and Independent
• Fair and Respectful
• Accurate and Relevant
• Connected and Accountable

Project Leader Hans Laroes, the former Editor in Chief of NOS News (Netherlands), said that since it was the Members who had sought EBU direction on the issue of Public Service Media Values, it was logical that they should adopt this document.

He said: “The professionalism of PSM has become a hot-button issue of late, with some high-profile cases driving it up the agenda internationally. This document is therefore not only necessary, it is timely too.”

Mr Laroes added that the next step was to flesh out the principles into a comprehensive set of Editorial Guidelines which have also been placed at Members’ disposal.

The full Declaration on Public Service Media Values, the Editorial Principles and Guidelines can all be found on the EBU website.