Editorial independence

Our news organisations conduct investigative journalism to shine a light on human rights violations and other abuse. For example, M6’s award-winning programme, Enquête Exclusive, investigates stories in some of the world’s most dangerous places: from religious radicalism in Yemen, to gang culture in Honduras. Antonia Rados, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, reports from volatile regions such as North Africa and the Middle East, to provide viewers with a close-up look at the impact of war and violence, and the causes of the refugee crisis. RTL Television’s Team Wallraff – Reporter Undercover, conducts extensive research to uncover human rights abuses, corruption and other illegal activity. Similarly, Reporters, an investigative series produced by RTL-TVI in Belgium, uncovers a number of human rights violations.

Image description: Michaël Miraglia presents RTL-TVI’s weekly Reporters magazine always factual, clear and comprehensive © RTL TVI / Jean-Michel Clajot

The RTL School of Journalism for TV and Multimedia in Germany, established in 2000, is a respected, accredited training centre, whose mission is to prepare students for the fast-moving, highly competitive world of television journalism. The curriculum at the school’s state-of-the-art facilities encompasses the studies of practical training in online journalism, video for digital platforms, investigative research, and ethics. Its graduates move on to work for Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, as well as other broadcasters, TV production and media companies.

Image description: Practical training prepares students of the RTL School of Journalism for TV and Multimedia for the world of TV journalism © RTL Journalistenschule

RTL Group has issued Newsroom Guidelines to provide a framework for action, both for our daily work, and for the more challenging cases our editorial staff encounter regularly. This is underpinned by our adherence to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantees the freedom of expression and information.

Our Newsroom Guidelines define the journalistic principles of all our news organisations:

• We are fair and impartial

• We act responsibly with regard to personal rights

• We are cautious when showing violence and victims

• We handle the personal rights of minors with sensitivity

• We report truthfully and don’t stage reality

• We are cautious and critical with third-party messaging

RTL Group has a number of Synergy Committees (SyCos) set up to foster sharing of knowledge and to encourage the replication of successes across the Group. These committees – which consist of executives and experts from each business unit and the Corporate Centre – meet regularly to discuss topics such as programming, news, radio, advertising sales and new media, as well as the CR aspects of these topics. The RTL Group News Synergy Committee is a working group covering all news topics, including editorial independence and press freedom.

Bertelsmann has had a working group on press freedom since 2015. Chaired by RTL Group’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Communications & Marketing, this group consists of representatives from other Bertelsmann divisions and discusses current issues relating to editorial and journalistic independence, e.g. content verification. The group regularly invites guest speakers to present and examine specific examples from everyday practice in journalism.