The Editorial Guidelines define the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation’s (SBC’s) journalistic identity: they are a framework that guides us, setting out the quality criteria and standards according to which we fulfil our public service mandate. However, it also sets the boundaries within which we, as SBC employees, must operate.

In our daily work, journalists and media professionals help us to meet our high standards of journalistic professionalism at all times. For managers, they are the foundation of quality assurance and journalistic decisions.

The Editorial Guidelines are public. We are therefore aware that our output and our conduct as SBC employees are measured against them.

The Editorial Guidelines do not discharge employees from their personal responsibility, but allow scope for professional discretion when dealing with specific cases. In exceptional cases where they do not provide sufficient guidance, the responsible supervisor should be consulted. If decisions with wider implications are needed, they should be made by the responsible editors. In some cases, it is mandatory to involve them.

In some respects, the Editorial Guidelines go further than the law. What may be legally permissible may not be acceptable from an editorial standpoint. In sensitive cases, the SBC legal department and responsible editors must be consulted.

The Editorial Guidelines are never complete or exhaustive. They may need to be adapted or updated from time to time in response to current developments. This further development is a participatory process: all SBC employees are called upon to play an active role in it.

Important principles and additions to the Editorial Guidelines (e.g. legal texts) can be found in the appendices.