Oštro’s Code

Introduction

Oštro.si is an independent and non‑profit online media outlet published by Oštro, the Centre for Investigative Journalism in the Adriatic Region. Oštro cultivates investigative and data journalism, upholds the right to know as a fundamental human right, and contributes to the education of future generations of journalists.

Oštro is committed to the professional principles set out in the Slovenian Journalists’ Code of Ethics, the Munich Declaration, and the IFCN Code of Principles.

With the aim of developing high‑quality journalism and advancing the principles of non‑profit media, we have adopted Oštro’s Code, in which we set out the key principles, guidelines, and rules governing journalistic work at Oštro.si.

Years of profit‑driven media practices have financially and structurally depleted newsrooms, pushed aside many promising journalists and other media creators, and eroded professional and ethical standards. The quality of public information in Slovenia is no longer self‑evident, a situation worsened by the growing industry of disinformation and fake news.

Its aim, among other things, is to dismantle the institution of democratic public debate and, indirectly, to devalue journalism as a profession and the media as sources of credible information. We believe that this industry can be resisted only through a new alliance between the media and the public — one built on openness, respect, and reciprocity.

With the desire to help strengthen professional and ethical standards, and at the same time enable the public to understand the principles guiding our work, we have adopted…

I. Fundamental Principles

• Oštro investigates topics that are in the public interest and verifies the credibility of media information that is essential for keeping the public informed.
• Oštro is an independent organisation committed to professional journalistic standards. Oštro and its journalists do not engage in advocacy, political activities, public relations, or anything else that could, in fact or appearance, compromise Oštro’s independence as defined in its founding act.
• Oštro has zero tolerance for anyone attempting to influence the work of its editor‑in‑chief, editors, or journalists, or for anyone trying to obstruct their work.
• Oštro operates openly and transparently. It regularly publishes information about its funding and promptly provides the public with explanations regarding editorial decisions, professional mistakes, and other matters relevant to the integrity of the newsroom.
• Oštro does not publish unverified information, and its journalists honour agreements with sources. The newsroom’s findings are based on primary sources — such as official documents and data — as well as other traceable and credible evidence, testimonies from multiple sources, or relevant experts. If, after publication, the newsroom determines that any information was unreliable, incorrect, or inaccurate, it publishes an explanation as soon as possible alongside the affected text.
• Oštro discloses both actual and apparent conflicts of interest involving the editor‑in‑chief, editors, journalists, or external contributors. Any member of the newsroom must report an actual or apparent conflict of interest immediately upon identifying it, or no later than within 24 hours. The newsroom then removes that person from the relevant work process.
• Oštro respects the right to privacy of all individuals, including public figures, unless privacy is outweighed by the public interest and disclosure is essential for fully informing the public.
• Oštro respects the right to equal treatment. It does not give space to stereotypes, prejudice, or insults directed at individuals or groups, except when necessary for fully informing the public about the work or conduct of public officials or other public servants.

II. Sources of Information

• Oštro protects the identity of its sources. In investigative stories, it uses unnamed sources only when they have legitimate reasons for anonymity. Journalists explain these reasons to the public, and otherwise use the information solely to understand the background or in accordance with the agreement made with the source.
• Oštro honours agreements with sources and pays particular attention to those who are not accustomed to working with journalists or being publicly exposed. Members and collaborators of the newsroom must warn such sources about potential risks associated with disclosing information and, when necessary, advise them on self‑protection practices.
• Whenever possible, Oštro relies on primary sources such as official data and statistics, institutional publications and positions, expert opinions from individuals with verifiable credentials, research or analyses by institutions or qualified individuals, laws and other regulations, databases of national, regional, and international institutions, contracts, payment records, business reports and data, bankruptcy documents, criminal complaints, indictments, and other documents and databases accessible to Oštro’s journalists.
• Oštro ensures the credibility of its published content through an internal fact‑checking system applied before publication.
• Oštro’s journalists and editors use tools for encrypting communication, work folders and documents, disks and storage devices, virtual private networks, and other tools necessary to maintain the highest possible integrity and security of journalistic work and the protection of source identities.
• Aware of the (in)security of the digital environment, Oštro enables sources — provided they also follow security instructions — to safely and anonymously submit information in the public interest through the whistleblowing portal Žvižgač.si, which is operated by the institute. When possible, members of the newsroom first independently verify the credibility of the information, data, or documents obtained in this way, and then assess whether investigating them is in the public interest.
• Oštro respects copyright, and newsroom members quote statements and positions of subjects consistently and accurately. Republishing Oštro’s journalistic stories is permitted only with the agreement of the editor‑in‑chief.

III. Corrections and Updates

• Oštro publishes any editorial corrections or corrections and counter‑statements required under the Media Act clearly and transparently. They are marked as “update”, “correction”, or “counter‑statement”, together with the date of publication.

IV. Alliance with the Public

• Oštro fosters a two‑way, respectful, and inclusive relationship with its readers. It encourages the public to take a proactive civic stance and to act for the good of the community.
• Oštro does not enable commenting on journalistic stories and does not count likes; instead, it engages with the public in a constructive way. It encourages people to share information that is in the public interest and to alert the newsroom to potential disinformation circulating in society.
• Oštro responds to constructive criticism, remarks, and suggestions from members, readers, and the general public.

V. Non‑profit Operation

• Oštro is funded through contributions, grants, or donations from individuals and legal entities, as well as through calls for proposals issued by non‑governmental organisations and philanthropic foundations.
• Oštro does not publish advertisements on Oštro.si or on any other platforms.
• Oštro publishes information about its funding at least once a year.