In recent weeks, the news ombudsman team has received many questions about the reporting of the ethnic origin of suspects and victims in the news. When does the newsroom include this information and when does it not? VRT news ombudswoman Judit Verstraete explains the principles behind the decision.
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Ask the News Ombudswoman: Why does VRT NWS mention people’s ethnic origin in its reporting?
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The general principle is that ethnic origin is just another element for a journalist to use to describe someone, like age and place of residence. A person’s ethnic origin does not need to be emphasised, but it does not need to be concealed either.
Mentioning someone’s ethnic or cultural background reflects the diversity of our society. The advice is to state this as specifically as possible, in order to avoid generalisation.
Journalists may therefore mention that Jidel, the boy who died after being hit by a police car in Antwerp this week, is Jewish. Just as they may mention that Fabian, the boy who died during a police chase in Brussels last week, is of Moldovan origin.
Some people who email us believe that ethnic origin should only be mentioned if it is crucial information, for example in cases of racist violence or discrimination. In such cases, it is indeed essential that journalists mention it, but even if it is not essential, they can still do so.
Speculation on social media
For example, when describing the suspect in the shooting of two Democratic politicians in the US state of Minnesota, the suspect was referred to as a “white man”. Some may consider this superfluous information, but journalists are allowed to mention it.
There are also people who accuse reporters of withholding information when the ethnic origin of a suspect is not mentioned. For example, there was much speculation on social media about the origin of the man suspected of the fatal stabbing on a bus in Antwerp.
The journalists stated that he was of Georgian origin, but could only do so once they were certain. Sometimes the information is not available or cannot be confirmed. In that case, the reporters cannot provide it.
And what about Flemish people? In principle, journalists are allowed to make this clear, too, although they don’t always do so explicitly. In such cases, other elements are often chosen to describe the person, such as their place of residence.
Recently, for example, VRT wrote that a West Flemish man was sentenced to three years’ suspended imprisonment for harassing a girl on a train. Some readers, viewers or listeners may also take issue with this description.
Code of conduct
According to the Code of the Flemish Council for Journalism, journalists may not incite discrimination or racism. It is unacceptable to generalise and make statements about an entire community based on the actions of an individual. The newsroom ensures that the wording of the news reports is not stigmatising.
Nevertheless, it is inevitable that people will draw their own conclusions based on the reporting. Some people feel journalists are targeting certain groups with its reporting, while others feel those same groups are being protected. The newsroom does neither. Its task is to report and inform truthfully. After all, the public has the right to be informed as fully as possible.
Meet the ombudswoman
The news ombudswoman is an independent mediator who reports directly to the managing director of VRT. Judit Verstraete explains her role.
“I stand between the public and the newsroom. With a small team, I handle questions, comments and complaints from viewers, readers and listeners about VRT NWS programmes and platforms.
“We read all emails carefully and assess them in accordance with journalistic ethics, more specifically the editorial charter, the guidelines for impartiality and the Code of the Flemish Council for Journalism. We consult regularly with the editorial team and pass on relevant questions, comments and suggestions.”