Catalonia updates journalistic ethical codes for AI and sensitive reporting

Journalistic standards in Catalonia are being updated to address modern technological and social challenges. The regional Deontological Code for Journalists, updated in November 2025, now includes specific guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. The code emphasizes that responsibility lies with the humans designing and applying technology rather than the tools themselves, mandating human editorial supervision at all stages of content production and warning against the use of deepfakes unless the AI-generated content itself is the news.

Separately, the Consell de la Informació de Catalunya (CIC) has issued a call for ethical rigor following inaccuracies regarding the background of suspects in a recent crime in Manresa. The CIC highlighted the importance of avoiding information that criminalizes individuals based on ethnic origin, nationality, or social status to prevent discriminatory attitudes. While the code allows for the mention of nationality if it is deemed relevant to the news context, it stresses that such information should be handled carefully to avoid fostering discriminatory impulses among the public.