Welcome to the pages of the Council for Journalistic Ethics (CDJ)!
Why are you here?
If you are on this page, it is because you clicked on the CDJ logo from the Association for Self-Regulation of Journalist Ethics (AADJ) member page. It is a legal structure that supports the Council for Journalistic Ethics (CDJ) and ensures its work.
CDJ provides compliance with the rules of good journalistic practice. This independent body is organized and financed by actors (journalists, media) of the profession. In other words, it is a self-regulatory body for the French- and German-speaking media in Belgium. CDJ consists of representatives of media publishers, journalists, editors and civil society. It carries out three main missions: information, mediation and self-regulation (establishes ethical principles and ensures their compliance through complaints). CDJ is not a court but a moral authority.
Why this logo?
The presence of this logo means that the member concerned adheres to this professional and independent system of self-regulation and undertakes to respect the ethical principles determined by the CDJwhich are detailed in Code of journalistic ethics. This reference text is structured around four main axes: dissemination of verified information; collect and disseminate information independently; behave loyally; respect people’s rights.
The principle of self-regulation is simple: the profession regulates itself, in order to prevent an external authority from intervening at the risk of limiting or pressuring what is most precious to journalism, freedom.
The member thereby lets you know that he is committed to complying with ethics (ie, reporting information of general interest, independently, accurately, honestly and loyally to the public), accepting the opinions of his colleagues, improving his practice in case of error and publishing the decisions of the CDJ.
What should you do if you believe that a media outlet or journalist has committed what you consider to be an ethical violation?
Any natural or legal person (institution, association, company, etc.) who believes that a certain journalistic practice is contrary to ethical rules can file a complaint with the CDJ. However, the Council intervenes as a priority as a mediator between the parties to which the appeal refers in order to reach a satisfactory solution in accordance with the rules of journalistic responsibility specific to each type of media.
Therefore, you have several options at your disposal:
1) Contact the media directly
As a matter of priority, contact the media concerned and/or the journalist concerned (especially if the media has its own intermediary service) to find an amicable solution: correction, right of reply, letters from readers, opinion, etc.
If this “internal” mediation fails or if it is impossible by default, please contact the CDJ General Secretariat by email (cdj@lecdj.be) for filing an appeal.
2) Contact CDJ
The General Secretariat of the CDJ acts as an intermediary (Ombudsman) either at the beginning of the appeal process, or in response to special requests for mediation without objection.
If this mediation fails or is impossible, the CDJ examines the complaint on its merits and renders a decision in an adversarial procedure in which all parties present their arguments (written procedure or oral procedure).
- Request for information or training
CDJ’s information mission is aimed at journalists as well as all professional media circles, future student journalists and the public.
For all questions, contact the main secretariat of the CDJ via e-mail (cdj@lecdj.be) (or possibly by phone: 02/280.25.14).
CDJ has set up different information tools to answer the questions of its different audiences: website, X account (formerly Twitter), newsletters, press releases, case law tool, etc.
The council also meets with the editorial staff, intervenes in the initial or continuous training of journalists, and participates in discussions and conferences on ethical issues. If you are interested, contact the main secretariat of the CDJ by email (cdj@lecdj.be) (or possibly by phone: 02/280.25.14).
What if the media does not show the CDJ logo?
This means that this media is not a member and therefore has not formally committed to complying with the ethical principles prescribed by the CDJ, which are detailed in the Code of Journalistic Ethics. This does not prevent that, if this media provides information, it must respect the principles of journalistic ethics and that the Council can make a decision in the event of a complaint filed against it. However, since it has not formally committed itself to the AADJ/CDJ, the media does not undertake the obligation to publish the decisions of the CDJ that concern it and does not guarantee its public that it will learn from its possible mistakes, improve its practices and constantly work towards ethical quality the information it offers.