Schibsted's media reflect a wide range of diverse opinion. So they also provide different ways of looking at issues and views on important questions in current debates on social affairs.
Schibsted will ensure editorial independence and uphold freedom of expression in the newspaper and media houses we own. Free media play a leading role in underpinning strong, living democracies. Schibsted’s core values rest on this foundation, which is firmly enshrined in the Group’s statutes. Schibsted will never seek ownerhip of opinion forming media which do not promote a democratic view of society.
Schibsted respects the fact that different media are based on different journalistic and political viewpoints and have diverse characteristics. The editorial work in Schibsted's media houses is based on national law and ethical regulations in every country in which we have a presence. This is how we meet our responsibility as a player in the media sphere.
Editorial quality and trustworthiness are foundations of the group’s journalistic activities and these, together with the individual company's statutes, form the basis for the editors’ work.
Editors forum
The establishment of the Schibsted Editors’ Forum in the autumn of 2007 was an important milestone in the work to strengthen the group's publishing activities. By means of this editors' forum Schibsted has created a European network in which the leading editors in our media companies can debate common challenges, exchange ideas and experiences or discuss important questions relating to their activities both in individual countries and across borders. The forum can also represent pan-European editorial views to Schibsted’s group management and governing bodies.
In 2011 the Schibsted editors' forum adopted a framework for editorial governance for the group's publishing businesses. This enshrines the principle of editorial freedom and so explicity defines it for the benefit of Schibsted’s companies in those countries where this principle is not embodied in law. It follows from this that the responsible editor must take full personal responsibility for the content of the publication and this responsibility extends to providing ethical guidelines and procedures for the journalists.
Schibsted's publishing businesses prepare editorial accounts and their reports are available on the group's website. The editors give an annual briefing to the Board on the editorial business based on the editorial accounts. In addition, the head of Schibsted's editorial forum gives an annual summary of the editorial accounts to Schibsted’s Group Board. The presentations will be for the Board’s information only and will not form the basis of any sort of board resolution.
Common framework
The editor's forum has identified eight general principles which will apply as a common framework for all editors of Schibsted publications:
- Schibsted editors must promote freedom of expression and uphold democratic values
- Schibsted editors must take full responsibility for all content in the publications they publish
- Schibsted editors must play a free and independent role
- Schibsted editors must ensure that the journalism creates a clear difference in the eyes of the reader between information, facts and editorial opinion
- Schibsted editors must make a clear difference between independent editorial content and marketing
- Schibsted editors must focus fully on editorial quality and trustworthiness and establish ethical and journalistic standards in line with this aim.
- Schibsted editors must protect freedom of expression, press freedom and the principle of access to public documents
- Schibsted editors will regard it as an important task for the press to protect individuals and groups against injustice and to expose issues of critical social importance.