New guidelines for reporting on opinion polls
The Swiss Press Council has revised the guidelines in the Journalists' Code of Ethics regarding the reporting of opinion polls. Starting in 2025, news organizations must make all information necessary for the public's understanding available to them.
The Press Council announced on Monday that it must at least state how many people were surveyed and whether the survey is representative. If the survey is representative, it is also necessary to name the area of error. The editorial offices must also inform the public of the central content of the questions in the opinion poll.
Labeling of advertising
The revised directive on the "separation of editorial content and advertising" will also come into force in the new year. This is primarily aimed at publishers who acquire advertising, it added. The Press Council is aligning itself with the Swiss Commission for Fairness and the Swiss Media Association, which have previously taken a stricter line. In future, all three organizations will demand the same principle.
The Press Council now also requires that non-editorial articles that appear in the context of editorial articles are clearly marked and have a recognizably different design. Previously, only one of these two measures was required.
According to the Press Council, these guidelines are existential for the media and the credibility of journalism. The latest research has shown that it is not enough for advertising articles to be labeled "Paid Content" or "Publisher's Supplement", but otherwise do not differ from the editorial pages in terms of design. (SDA/swi)
