Reuters Handbook of Journalism

Reuters Handbook of Journalism
Title	Reuters Handbook of Journalism
Publisher	Reuters
First published	1941
Language	English
Subject	Journalism style guide, news reporting, editorial standards
Website	Reuters Handbook (internal)

Reuters Handbook of Journalism The Reuters Handbook of Journalism is an institutional style guide issued by Reuters to govern news reporting, editorial practice, and newsroom procedure. It functions as a reference for journalists working across bureaux in cities such as London, New York City, Hong Kong, Frankfurt am Main and Nairobi, and interfaces with international organizations including the United Nations, European Commission, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Health Organization. Editors and correspondents from outlets like the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and Agence France-Presse often compare their own manuals to Reuters' guidance.

History

The handbook traces roots to Reuters' early press agency operations in the 19th century under Paul Reuter and formalizes policy developed through interactions with news events such as the Second World War, the Suez Crisis, the Cold War, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War, the Arab Spring, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Updates were influenced by landmark legal and political episodes including the Helsinki Accords, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the United Kingdom, and reporting challenges from incidents like the Falklands War and the September 11 attacks. Institutional changes at Reuters following acquisitions and restructuring—interacting with corporations such as Thomson Corporation and Thomson Reuters—shaped editions and editorial priorities.

Purpose and scope

The handbook sets standards for factual verification, attribution, clarity and impartiality used by correspondents covering events tied to entities such as the White House, the United States Congress, the European Parliament, the African Union, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. It guides coverage of elections and referendums in countries including France, India, Brazil, South Africa and Japan and provides protocols for reporting from conflict zones like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. The scope encompasses guidance on legal matters involving statutes such as the Defamation Act 2013 and regulatory bodies like the Press Complaints Commission and national broadcasters such as CNN, Al Jazeera, NHK, and ITV.

Content and structure

Organized into sections on newswriting, attribution, verification, source protection, and multimedia, the handbook addresses style elements from naming conventions used for figures like Boris Johnson, Ursula von der Leyen, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to data reporting practices around institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and events such as the European Central Bank interest decisions. It contains templates and checklists for coverage of disasters like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and aviation incidents such as Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, plus protocols for live reporting during summits like the G7 and COP26 and sporting coverage at events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. The structure interlinks practical sections for newsroom roles including foreign correspondents in Beijing, investigative teams working on matters akin to the Panama Papers, legal desks covering cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, and photojournalists operating under standards influenced by the World Press Photo awards.

Editorial standards and ethics

Editorial guidance emphasizes impartiality, accuracy and harm minimization when reporting about persons and institutions such as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières and Red Cross. It prescribes sourcing hierarchies for statements from offices such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Presidency of France, and ministries in capitals like Berlin and Ottawa. Ethical rules intersect with legal frameworks including the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence, national libel law precedents, and standards developed after inquiries such as the Leveson Inquiry.

Editions and updates

Multiple editions have been issued reflecting technological change from wire services to digital platforms, influenced by developments at technology firms like Twitter, Meta Platforms, Google, and YouTube. Revisions followed pivotal moments in media regulation and practice after cases involving outlets such as News International, developments at agencies like United Press International, and standards from professional bodies such as the Society of Professional Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. Regional adaptations were made for bureaux in locations such as Jakarta, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Cape Town and Toronto.

Reception and influence

Media scholars and newsrooms cite the handbook alongside other style guides like the Associated Press Stylebook, the BBC News style guide and the Guardian and Observer style guide. Academic departments in institutions such as Columbia University, London School of Economics, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Stanford University reference its practices in curricula. Its influence extends to press regulators, newsroom codes at outlets including Financial Times, Bloomberg L.P., The Wall Street Journal and to professional standards adopted by international reporting projects like the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Access and distribution

The handbook is distributed internally across Reuters bureaux and to freelance contributors contracted in jurisdictions ranging from Singapore to Mexico City; excerpts are sometimes cited externally by media trainers, libraries at universities such as Harvard University and Yale University, and in workshops run by institutions like the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and Columbia Journalism School. Public-facing summaries and press guidance appear alongside Reuters reporting on platforms tied to Reuters TV and corporate communications coordinated with partners such as BBC World Service and industry conferences like The World Economic Forum.

Category:Journalism