Are citizen journalists covered by the terms of the Code?
Yes, if they submit material to newspapers and magazines that subscribe to the Code. Editors and publishers (who take the ultimate responsibility under the self regulatory system) are required to take care to ensure that the Code is observed not only by editorial staff, but also by external contributors, including non-journalists. So, for example, this would cover freelancers, specialist contributors, photographers, readers’ letters, as well as citizen journalists. An editor intending to publish material from such sources would need to make whatever checks necessary to ensure it complied with the Code.
