No excuses for shoddy journalism
"I didn't know" will no longer be an option for journalists who find themselves answering for low professional standards or unethical conduct before the proposed Media Council.
New rules for the profession make it crystal clear exactly where the journalist stands in terms of rights and obligations on the job.
Today, in the first of a two-part focus on the proposed code of conduct for journalists, malaysiakini looks at the rules relating to reportage, editorial comment, privacy, use of pictures and sound, and methods of gathering information.
Rules of reportage
The journalist's primary duty is to report accurately, correctly and faithfully and to respect the right of the public to fair and objective news.
In doing so, the journalist is to be critical of news sources by way of checking facts and other information to ensure accuracy. Facts are to be checked as carefully as possible even if published earlier.
Reporting must be strictly distinguished from comment. Analyses, commentaries and other opinion pieces must be clearly identified as such and not misrepresent fact or context. Personal opinion shall not be reported without a byline.
Unconfirmed reports should be stated as such, in order not to mislead the viewer or reader.
The journalist shall not publish inaccurate, baseless, misleading or distorted materials. Where rumours and unconfirmed sources are reported, this must be done without exaggeration or elaboration, and together with remarks to that effect.
Factual errors must be corrected, while opportunities must be provided for rebuttal of statements published.
Corrections and rebuttals should be published promptly in a way that will come to the attention of those who received the original information. A rebuttal does not always call for editorial comment.
The journalist is also obliged to promptly publish any statement of censure issued by the council in cases concerning the organisation to which the practitioner belongs.
Editorial comment
An editorial comment should be "a bold expression of the journalist's own belief and conviction" sources and confidentiality; plagiarism; and accountability and professionalism.
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