The guidelines were developed in response to controversy last year over a confidential briefing given by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka to a select group of editors. The briefing was later leaked by then City Press editor Vusi Mona, and was a topic of debate at the Hefer Commission.
After three months of consultations, SANEF formally adopted its guidelines on Sunday and resolved to circulate them widely within newsrooms, government communication offices and journalism schools.
The guidelines state that "on-the-record" sources of information are preferable in the media. Anonymous briefings and sources should be used as last resort, and journalists should first try to persuade the speakers to go on the record.
Also in the guidelines is advice to journalists to always clarify what a source understands by the words "off-the-record". This ambiguous phrase may mean that the information may be cited but without identifying the source, or that neither information nor source may be used.
Journalists are also urged to respect whatever confidentiality commitment they give to sources.
SANEF represents 170 members of South Africa's editors in the print, broadcast and online industries, as well as senior media teachers.
The full guidelines available on the SANEF website, www.sanef.org.za .
SA National Editors Forum (SANEF)
