11.3: What happens if you make a mistake?

While the public generally accept that mistakes happen, they do not look kindly upon journalists and news media who make repeated ethical mistakes. It is always best to avoid mistakes in the first place. Every time a journalist or news medium makes an ethical mistake, the public lose a little bit of trust in the news media. Therefore, it is essential that all mistakes be acknowledged and rectified immediately. Our audience understand that we are human and will accept genuine apologies. However, if mistakes happen continuously, it is inevitable that you and your organisation will lose the public’s trust.

The South African Press Council has a process in place for addressing ethical and other mistakes in the news media. Usually, readers will approach the Press Council with a complaint. There will be an investigation, and if the Press Council finds that a newspaper published a misleading or an inaccurate story, the newspaper will be ordered to rectify the mistake on the same page where the story was published originally. If the story was published on the front page, the correction must also be published on the front page.

Journalists who make major ethical mistakes often need to resign or are dismissed. In the examples shown at the start of this chapter, the journalist who fell in love with a murderer was dismissed, and the journalist who had received money from South African crime intelligence and the three journalists involved in the “rogue unit” story all had to leave their jobs because their reputations were damaged.

In less serious cases, an apology and correction are usually sufficient. Some newsrooms might have internal disciplinary measures when ethical lapses happen often. Some newsrooms might send journalists who make ethical mistakes for additional training to prepare them better so that they can make the right decision. Usually, when an ethical mistake happens, the journalist who reported the story is held liable, not the sub-editor. In many cases, the editor (or editor-in-chief) may also accept responsibility, because editors of news organisations are where “the buck stops”. They are the people who need to take final responsibility for everything that is reported in their publication, on their website, or broadcast on various channels.

There can also be legal ramifications and criminal liability for both the journalist and the news organisation in cases where reporting breaks the law. In cases of defamation, journalists who are found guilty may receive fines, or even go to jail. Whenever a journalist breaks a law (for example, POPIA), there may be a court case, and if found guilty, there will be a penalty. News media can also be found guilty as organisations if they contravene POPIA.

Of course, the most serious consequence of unethical journalism is that the public will lose their trust in you and your organisation. It is very hard to regain the public’s trust once it has been lost. That is why ethical journalism practices should not happen out of fear for the law or other penalties; ethical journalism should happen because you want to maintain the trust of the public by doing what journalists are supposed to do – report truthfully and accurately about events of the day.