Editing interviews requires careful consideration of ethical issues. Informed consent, transparency, and maintaining the interviewee's intended meaning are crucial. Editors must balance the need for clarity and concision with accurate representation.

Ethical editing involves preserving context, avoiding misrepresentation, and fact-checking. Respecting off-the-record content and seeking approval for significant changes ensures trust and integrity in the final product. These principles help create fair and accurate interview presentations.

Informed Consent and Transparency

Obtaining Informed Consent

• Obtain informed consent from interviewees before conducting the interview
• Informed consent ensures interviewees understand the purpose, scope, and potential uses of the interview
• Provide interviewees with a clear explanation of how their responses will be used and distributed (publications, documentaries, research)
• Allow interviewees to ask questions and clarify any concerns they may have before agreeing to participate

Maintaining Transparency and Interviewee Approval

• Be transparent about the editing process and any changes made to the interview content
• Inform interviewees about the potential for their responses to be edited for clarity, length, or context
• Seek interviewee approval for significant edits or alterations to the meaning or intent of their responses
• Provide interviewees with an opportunity to review and approve the final edited version of the interview before publication or distribution

Handling Off-the-Record Content

• Respect interviewees' requests to keep certain information off-the-record or confidential
• Clearly establish what content is considered off-the-record before or during the interview
• Do not include off-the-record content in the final edited version of the interview without explicit permission from the interviewee
• If off-the-record content is essential to the story, consider renegotiating with the interviewee to include it on-the-record or find alternative sources to corroborate the information

Accurate Representation

Maintaining Contextual Integrity

• Preserve the original context and meaning of interviewees' responses during the editing process
• Avoid taking quotes or soundbites out of context in a way that misrepresents the interviewee's intended message
• When condensing or rearranging content, ensure that the edited version accurately reflects the interviewee's overall perspective and key points
• If necessary, include additional context or clarification to prevent misinterpretation of edited content

Avoiding Misrepresentation and Selective Editing

• Do not selectively edit interviews to misrepresent interviewees' views or create a false narrative
• Avoid cherry-picking quotes or soundbites that support a predetermined agenda while ignoring contradictory or nuanced perspectives
• When editing for brevity, ensure that the remaining content accurately represents the interviewee's main points and does not distort their message
• Be mindful of the potential for editing to create unintended biases or misrepresentations, and strive to maintain a balanced and fair portrayal of the interviewee's perspective

Fact-Checking and Accuracy

• Verify factual information provided by interviewees to ensure accuracy in the final edited version
• Cross-reference interviewee statements with reliable sources (official documents, expert opinions, other interviews) to corroborate claims
• If discrepancies or inaccuracies are discovered during the fact-checking process, consider reaching out to the interviewee for clarification or correction
• In cases where factual errors cannot be resolved, consider omitting the inaccurate information or providing context to acknowledge the discrepancy in the final edited version