What is a death knock, and what is a doorstep?
Two of the most difficult things reporters are asked to do: approaching the recently bereaved, and confronting someone who does not want to speak. Both are widely misunderstood, and both are governed by specific rules.
The death knock. Approaching the family of someone who has died — usually in an accident, a crime or a disaster — to ask for comment, photographs and recollections.
Why it is done at all, which is the part critics rarely engage with: without it, victims appear in coverage as a name and a set of circumstances. Families frequently want the person described as they actually were, and many later say the coverage mattered to them. Some outlets have moved toward approaching through a police family liaison officer rather than directly.
What the rules require. The Editors' Code obliges approaches in cases of grief or shock to be made with sympathy and discretion, and publication handled sensitively. It also requires that journalists identify themselves and leave when asked.
What makes it unacceptable: persisting after refusal, misrepresenting who you are, approaching children, taking material from social media without care, or camping outside a house.
The doorstep. Approaching someone unannounced — typically outside their home or workplace — usually because they have declined or ignored requests for comment.
When it is defensible: where there is a genuine public interest, the person has refused other approaches, and the questions are ones they should answer. Investigative journalism frequently has no other route to a response from someone avoiding scrutiny.
When it is not: where it is used for spectacle rather than information, where the subject is a private individual with no public role, or where the purpose is a reaction shot rather than an answer.
The Ofcom Code requires that broadcasters normally request an interview before doorstepping, unless there is reason to believe evidence would be destroyed or the request would frustrate the investigation.
The effect on journalists is increasingly acknowledged — trauma exposure among reporters covering death and disaster is a recognised occupational issue, and training and support have improved from a very low base.