Media Ethics

The eternal message of the Rigveda, given several millennia ago, signifying the freedom of expression, is "Let noble thoughts come to us from every side." The modern democratic edifice has been built on the aforementioned principles, with individual liberty of expression as the supreme principle. The concrete form of this expression, 'journalism,' has grown in power over time. It has become a coveted profession among today's career-conscious youth, and I am confident that I am meeting a very promising group of people here today, many of whom will undoubtedly find a place among the leading journalists in the years to come.

 

•    Journalism's main goal is to provide the public with news, opinions, comments, and information on topics of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased, and decent manner.

 

•    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations in 1948, outlining certain freedoms for all people.

 

•    The most fundamental of these freedoms is enunciated in Article 19 of the Declaration, as follows: "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression and opinion," according to the United Nations. "This right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference, as well as the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any medium and across all borders."

 

•    The right to "freedom of speech and expression" is guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Indian Constitution.

 

•    The press is a necessary component of democracy. It gathers and shapes public opinion. Only under the watchful eye of the media can parliamentary democracy thrive. The media not only reports on events, but also serves as a link between the government and the general public.

 

•    At a time when the Indian economy is globalising, the media landscape is changing dramatically, and the Indian press is also going global, the press's responsibility to protect the interests of the people and the nation has grown exponentially.

 

•    With the introduction of private television channels, the media appears to have taken control of human life and society in every sphere. Today's media is no longer satisfied as the Fourth Estate; it has risen to prominence in society and governance. 

•    The media, in addition to serving as an informer, also serves as a motivator and a leader. 

 

•    The media has such power over people, institutions, and ideas that it can make or break them. Its influence on society is now all-pervasive and all-powerful.

 

•    The media cannot lose sight of its privileges, duties, and obligations because it wields so much power and influence. Journalism is a profession dedicated to helping others. As a result, it has the right to 'interrogate' others. This privilege includes the ability to gather information from primary authentic sources that is useful and important to society or the nation, and then report it in an unbiased and positive manner with the goal of informing rather than sensationalising and harming the public. 

 

•    Any direct or indirect interference from the state, the owner, or another sector infringes on its ability to carry out its societal responsibilities.

 

•    To enjoy these benefits, however, the media must adhere to certain ethical standards when gathering and disseminating information, such as ensuring the accuracy of the news, using restrained and socially acceptable language to ensure objectivity and fairness in reporting, and keeping in mind the impact on society, individuals, and institutions. While freedom of expression is unquestionably a fundamental right, it must be guided and constrained by societal obligations and ethics. This required a delicate balancing act to protect individual rights while exercising the right to expression. 

 

•    "The first step in the evolution of ethic is a sense of solidarity with other human beings," said Albert Schweitzer, a German Nobel Peace Prize winning mission doctor and theologian.

 

•    Ethics is a set of values that governs our lives and is thus critical for living a moral and healthy life. "Ethics" can be defined as a set of moral principles or values that guide the conduct of journalism in the context of the press. 

 

•    The ethics are essentially the voluntary self-restraint that journalists must practise in order to preserve and promote the public's trust, maintain their own credibility, and not betray the public's faith and confidence.

 

•    Honesty and fairness; duty to seek the views of the subject of any critical reportage prior to publication; duty to correct factual errors; duty not to falsify pictures or use them in a misleading manner 

 

1.    Responsibility to give people a chance to respond to critical opinions as well as critical factual reporting

 

2.    The appearance as well as the reality of objectivity; some codes forbid journalists from accepting gifts.'

 

3.    Consideration for others' privacy 

 

4.    The responsibility to differentiate between facts and opinions 

 

5.    Responsibility not to discriminate or incite hatred based on race, nationality, religion, or gender

 

6.    Some codes require journalists to avoid mentioning the race, religion, or nationality of news subjects unless it is relevant to the storey; others require coverage that promotes tolerance. 

 

7.    Obligation not to obtain information through unethical means 

 

8.    Responsibility not to put people in danger

 

9.    General decency and taste standards 

 

10.    Obligation not to prejudge an accused's guilt and to report the dismissal of charges or acquittal of anyone about whom the paper had previously reported that charges had been filed or that a trial had begun.

 

•    The press's freedom must be protected and preserved not only from outside interference, but also from within: Internal mechanisms such as "letters to the editor," "internal Ombudsman," "Media Council of Peers," and "Media Watch Groups" are used to ensure adherence to guidelines. These measures not only ensure media accountability and act as a check on the arbitrary and unbridled use of power, but they also help to boost the press's credibility.

 

•    These ethics are not in the nature of press control, but they are required for the fair and objective use of the press in order to maintain true freedom of speech and expression. 

 

•    The mandate of the Press Council of India, as well as similar bodies around the world, is to promote media standards by developing a code of conduct for it. It is to be commended that our legislature did not entrust the task of 'laying down' a code of conduct to the council.

 

•    Because ethics cannot be encased in a strait jacket. These broad principles, by their very nature, cannot be treated as ironclad, absolute rules of law that must be followed in all situations and under all circumstances. These are broad, general principles with a broader scope, reach, and terrain than legal principles.

 

•    They are morally sanctioned, and the source of their motivation lies within the media person's conscience. The Council's pronouncements and directives activate that conscience, and the principles articulated by it serve as beacons that lead and guide the journalist down the path of ethical prudence. They are compiled in a compendium titled "Norms of Journalistic Conduct," and they serve as a reference guide for journalists in a variety of situations.

 

•    Mahatma Gandhi, himself an eminent journalist, once said “The sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power; but just as unchained torrent of water submerges the whole countryside and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy. If the control is from without, it proves more poisonous than want of control.”