Delimiter is not a formal member of the Australian Press Council (the voluntary media regulator) or the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (the journalists’ union). However, as a publication we still attempt to hold to the ethical standards promoted by both bodies.
Of particular importance are the APC’s General Statement of Principles and its specific standards and advisory guidelines, and the MEAA’s Journalists’ Code of Ethics. If you feel Delimiter has breached one of these guidelines, please feel free to contact us about the issue and we will seek to respond as soon as possible.
Several further matters also apply to Delimiter specifically as a publication. Firstly and most obviously, all advertising material or material generated through a commercial relationship will be clearly labelled as such, where it is not immediately obvious by the format of the content. Content requiring a subscription to access will also be labelled.
Delimiter does not accept gifts above the value of $200. All review units will be returned to the supplying company once the associated review is complete, or at the supplier’s request. Occasionally we travel to conferences or events and receive accommodation and travel paid for by an external source. However, when we do so, there will be no specific guarantee of editorial to accrue from such events. When such travel occurs, it will be disclosed transparently to readers.
Delimiter does not sign non-disclosure agreements, aside from that pertaining to the Federal Budget lock-up. It is our common practice to agree to press embargoes, but we will consider an embargo broken if another publication publishes the embargoed information. Where we are aware that another publication has broken a story first, or where we reference another publication’s work, we will link directly to that publication.
Where we have a potential conflict of interest in a specific story (on a publication or a writer basis), we will attempt to disclose that interest transparently. Delimiter editor + publisher Renai LeMay does not hold direct shares in technology companies, and is not a member of a political party, although he has been a member of the NSW and ACT Greens in the past, and spent a year from July 2014 to July 2015 as a staffer for Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
We publish a site comments policy, a privacy policy and terms and conditions for your usage of our sites.
The Australian Press Council’s General Statement of Principles is replicated below for your information.
General Principle 1: Accurate, fair and balanced reporting
Publications should take reasonable steps to ensure reports are accurate, fair and balanced. They should not deliberately mislead or misinform readers either by omission or commission.
General Principle 2: Correction of inaccuracy
Where it is established that a serious inaccuracy has been published, a publication should promptly correct the error, giving the correction due prominence.
General Principle 3: Publishing responses
Where individuals or groups are a major focus of news reports or commentary, the publication should ensure fairness and balance in the original article. Failing that, it should provide a reasonable and swift opportunity for a balancing response in an appropriate section of the publication.
General Principle 4: Respect for privacy and sensibilities
News and comment should be presented honestly and fairly, and with respect for the privacy and sensibilities of individuals. However, the right to privacy is not to be interpreted as preventing publication of matters of public record or obvious or significant public interest. Rumour and unconfirmed reports should be identified as such.
General Principle 5: Honest and fair investigation; preservation of confidences
Information obtained by dishonest or unfair means, or the publication of which would involve a breach of confidence, should not be published unless there is an over-riding public interest.
General Principle 6: Transparent and fair presentation
Publications are free to advocate their own views and publish the bylined opinions of others, as long as readers can recognise what is fact and what is opinion. Relevant facts should not be misrepresented or suppressed, headlines and captions should fairly reflect the tenor of an article and readers should be advised of any manipulation of images and potential conflicts of interest.
General Principle 7: Discretion and causing offence
Publications have a wide discretion in publishing material, but they should balance the public interest with the sensibilities of their readers, particularly when the material, such as photographs, could reasonably be expected to cause offence.
General Principle 8: Gratuitous emphasis on characteristics
Publications should not place any gratuitous emphasis on the race, religion, nationality, colour, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, illness, or age of an individual or group. Where it is relevant and in the public interest, publications may report and express opinions in these areas.
General Principle 9: Publication of Council adjudications
Where the Council issues an adjudication, the publication concerned should publish the adjudication, promptly and with due prominence.