In the wake of the release of images from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the beheading of a U.S. businessman by Al Qaeda captors, the Radio-Television News Directors Association has released guidelines it recommends TV journalists follow for airing graphic material.
The guidelines, which were released May 13, address issues such as when is a story important enough to warrant the use of graphic images and discusses whether to air such images with peers and those outside the newsroom before making a decision.
The association’s Ethics Committee wrote the guidelines with help from ethics experts. The committee consists of radio and television news directors.
To review the guidelines, please visit: www.rtnda.org/ethics/graphic.shtml.
