Code of Ethics
Principles and Values
Documentarians for Faces of Postpartum believe that public advocacy and enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and equality. Ethical documentary strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical documentarian acts with integrity.
Faces of Postpartum ethical documentary practices aim to:
Serve people by sharing their stories and address social problems
Minimize harm
Respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person
Recognize the central importance of human relationships
Behave in a trustworthy manner and with integrity
Seek truth and report it
Challenge social injustice
Act independently
Be accountable and transparent
Work within areas of competence, develop, and enhance professional expertise.
Responsibilities
1.01 Telling the Whole Story
(a) Documentarians’ primary responsibility is to translate participants’ testimonies in the most accurate ways possible by providing context and identifying sources. Documentarians reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.
(b) Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless. Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.
(c) Support the civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
(d) Avoid stereotyping. Documentarians should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.
(e) Label advocacy and commentary, and never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.
(f) Never plagiarize. Always attribute.
(g) Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a story.
(h) Documentarians avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do.
(i) Documentarians avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived, refuse gifts, favors, fees, special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage the credibility of a story.
(j) Documentarians be wary of participants who offer information for favors or money, and identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not.
(k) Faces of Postpartum documentarians deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests and resist internal and external pressure to influence a story.
1.02 Documentarians Commitments to Participants
(a) Documentarians promote the well-being of participants. In general, participants' interests are primary. However, documentarians' responsibility to the larger society or specific legal obligations may on limited occasions supersede the loyalty owed participants, and participants should be so advised. (Examples include when a documentarian is required by law to report that a participant has abused a child or has threatened to harm self or others.)
(b) Documentarians understand the emotional, legal, psychological, spiritual and intellectual implications of sharing one’s story and act abide by the highest standards to protect the participants’ well-being.
(c) Participants remain in charge of their story and the documentarian will balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the story is not a license for arrange or undue intrusiveness.
(d) Participants will not see, review, or personally edit the story before its publication. However, participants will have the opportunity to have it read to them beforehand by the documentarian, per their request. Participants are free to suggest updates to their story, and such modifications shall be added if deemed crucial to the narrative and accuracy of the story.
(e) Although the documentarian is the sole judge of the final version of the story as well as any updates and modifications, participants can withdraw their story from the Faces of Postpartum website and affiliated pages at any time, with the understanding that documentarians cannot promise that any copies, screen captures, or previous versions haven’t been previously saved, printed, or distributed elsewhere.
(f) Documentarians show compassion for those who may be affected, use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, obstetric violence, and physical, psychological, and emotional traumas.
(g) Documentarians recognize that legal access to information differs from an ethical justification to publish or broadcast.
(h) Documentarians realize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal information.
(i) Documentarians inform the participants about the long-term implication of the extended reach and permanence of publication and provide updated and more complete information as appropriate.
(j) Documentarians are cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.
1.03 Informed Consent
(a) Documentarians should interview participants only in the context of a professional relationship based, when appropriate, on valid informed consent. Documentarians should use clear and understandable language to inform participants of the purpose of the projects, risks related to the projects, limits to projects, and the time frame covered by the consent. Documentarians should provide participants with an opportunity to ask questions.
(b) In instances when participants are not literate or have difficulty understanding the primary language used in the project setting, documentarians should take steps to ensure participants' comprehension. This may include providing participants with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator whenever possible.
(c) In instances when participants lack the capacity to provide informed consent, documentarians should protect participants' interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing participants consistent with the participant's level of understanding. In such instances, documentarians should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with participants' wishes and interests. Documentarian should take reasonable steps to enhance such participants' ability to give informed consent.
(d) Documentarians should discuss with participants the documentarian’ policies concerning the use of technology in the provision of professional projects.
(e) Documentarians who use technology should obtain informed consent from the individuals using these projects during the initial screening or interview and prior to initiating projects. Documentarians should assess participants’ capacity to provide informed consent and, when using technology to communicate, verify the identity and location of participants.
(f) Documentarians should obtain participants’ informed consent before making audio or video recordings of participants or permitting observation of service provision by a third party.
1.04 Competence
(a) Documentarians should represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
(b) When generally recognized standards do not exist with respect to an emerging area such as this project, documentarian should exercise careful judgment and take responsible steps (including appropriate education, research, training, consultation, and supervision) to ensure the competence of their work and to protect participants from harm.
(c) Documentarians who use technology in the provision of documentary projects should ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide such projects in a competent manner. This includes an understanding of the special communication challenges when using technology and the ability to implement strategies to address these challenges.
(d) Documentarians who use technology in providing documentary projects should comply with the laws governing technology and documentary project in the jurisdiction in which they are regulated and located and, as applicable, in the jurisdiction in which the participant is located.
1.05 Cultural Awareness and Social Diversity
(a) Documentarians should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) Documentarians should have a knowledge base of their participants' cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of projects that are sensitive to participants' cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups.
(c) Documentarian should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical ability.
(d) Documentarians who provide electronic documentary projects should be aware of cultural and socioeconomic differences among participants and how they may use electronic technology. Documentarians should assess cultural, environmental, economic, mental or physical ability, linguistic, and other issues that may affect the delivery or use of these projects.
1.06 Conflicts of Interest
(a) Documentarians should not take unfair advantage of any professional relationship or exploit others to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.
(b) Documentarians should not engage in dual or multiple relationships with participants or former participants in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the participant. In instances when dual or multiple relationships are unavoidable, documentarians should take steps to protect participants and are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries. (Dual or multiple relationships occur when documentarians relate to participants in more than one relationship, whether professional, social or business. Dual or multiple relationships can occur simultaneously or consecutively.)
(c) When documentarians conduct interviews with two or more people who have a relationship with each other (for example, couples, family members), documentarian should clarify with all parties which individuals will be considered participants and the nature of documentarians' professional obligations to the various individuals who are being interviewed.
1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality
(a) Documentarians should respect participants' right to privacy. Documentarians should not solicit private information from or about participants except for compelling professional reasons.
(b) Documentarians may disclose confidential information when appropriate with valid interview and model release consents from a participant or a person legally authorized to consent on behalf of a participant.
(c) Documentarians should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons. The general expectation that documentarians will keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a participant or others. In all instances, documentarians should disclose the least amount of confidential information necessary to achieve the desired purpose; only information that is directly relevant to the purpose for which the disclosure is made should be revealed.
(d) Documentarians should inform participants, to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences, when feasible before the disclosure is made.
(e) When documentarians interview families, couples, or groups, documentarians should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information shared by others.
(f) Documentarians should not disclose confidential information to third-party payers unless participants have authorized such disclosure.
(g) Documentarians should protect the confidentiality of participants when responding to requests from members of the media.
(h) Documentarians should protect the confidentiality of participants' written and electronic records and other sensitive information. Documentarians should take reasonable steps to ensure that participants' records are stored in a secure location and that participants' records are not available to others who are not authorized to have access.
(i) Documentarians should develop and disclose policies and procedures for notifying participants of any breach of confidential information in a timely manner.
(j) In the event of unauthorized access to participant records or information, including any unauthorized access to the documentarians’ electronic communication or storage systems, documentarians should inform participants of such disclosures, consistent with applicable laws and professional standards.
(k) Documentarians should develop and inform participants about their policies, consistent with prevailing documentary ethical standards, on the use of electronic technology, including Internet-based search engines, to gather information about participants.
(l) Documentarians should take reasonable precautions to protect participant confidentiality in the event of the documentarian's termination of project, incapacitation, or death.
(m) Documentarians should not disclose identifying information when discussing participants for teaching or training purposes unless the participant has consented to disclosure of confidential information.
(n) Documentarians should not disclose identifying information when discussing participants with consultants unless the participant has consented to disclosure of confidential information or there is a compelling need for such disclosure.
(o) Documentarian should protect the confidentiality of deceased participants consistent with the preceding standards.
1.08 Physical Contact
Documentarians should not engage in physical contact with participants when there is a possibility of psychological harm to the participant as a result of the contact (such as cradling or caressing participants). Documentarians who engage in appropriate physical contact with participants are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern such physical contact.
1.09 Sexual Harassment
Documentarians should not sexually harass participants. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances; sexual solicitation; requests for sexual favors; and other verbal, written, electronic, or physical contact of a sexual nature.
1.10 Derogatory Language
Documentarians should not use derogatory language in their written, verbal, or electronic communications to or about participants. Documentarians should use accurate and respectful language in all communications to and about participants.
Documentarians' Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society
2.01 General welfare
Documentarians should promote the general welfare of postpartum people, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Documentarians should advocate for living conditions and access to care conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.
2.02 Public Participation
Documentarians should facilitate informed participation by the public in shaping social policies and institutions.
2.03 Public Emergencies
Documentarians should provide appropriate professional projects in public emergencies to the greatest extent possible.
2.04 Social and Political Action
(a) Documentarians should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, projects, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Documentarians should be aware of the impact of the political arena on project and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.
(b) Documentarians should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups.
(c) Documentarians should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Documentarians should promote policies and projects that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.
(d) Documentarians should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical ability.