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Module 11: Journalistic Code of Ethics Aim of training
1. Participants understand the contents and the importance of the journalistic code of ethics, and are able to implement in their work.
2. Participants understand how the journalistic code of ethics can guide citizen journalists.
Topics
1. Journalistic code of ethics. 2. Code of ethics as a guide for journalists and citizen journalists.
Methods
1. Group discussions. 2. Participant presentations on their small group discussions.
3. Sharing opinions and ideas.
Materials and equipment
1. PowerPoint presentation with journalistic code of ethics. 2. Printed handouts of journalistic code of ethics for each participant to take home.
3. Laptop and LCD projector. 4. Large sheets of white paper and permanent markers.
Time needed
60 minutes.
Facilitation process
1. Facilitator presents about the journalistic code of ethics and its importance in
high-quality, sensitive, and ethical media coverage. 20 minutes
2. Participants discuss case studies available in ‘reading materials’ section below
in small groups. 20 minutes 3. Participants present the results of their discussions. 20 minutes
4. Facilitator summarizes the code again and answers any questions. 20 minutes
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Reading materials Ethics in citizen journalism by M. Isryadul
In Indonesia, Law no. 40 1999 on the Press states in Article 4 that press freedom is a basic human right of citizens. It explains that this means that the press have the right to
search for, obtain, and spread information and ideas. Article 6 also states that the role of the press is to oversee, critique, correct, and provide corrections to issues relevant to
public interest.
Anyone who obstructs press freedom in Indonesia can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to Rp. 500,000,000 approximately US4,000.
Why do journalists need ethics? Ethics must become the guiding principles for all journalistic practitioners, including
citizen journalists. Journalistic ethics are the ‘rules of the game’ for journalists, who in fact created the code of ethics themselves to ensure that all journalists and media
elements carry out their job as they should. Press freedom does not mean that journalists can act arbitrarily
– it means that journalists should be free to implement the journalistic process to ensure coverage is accurate and fact-based.
Why should journalists pay attention to these issues? Journalists’ work affects and shapes public opinion. This effect can be good or bad, depending on the information
shared and its accuracy.
Ethics are needed to ensure that all journalists report truthfully. Ethics assist journalists to do so from the research stage, to the interview stage, to the writing stage, and finally
to the publication stage.
Below are a number of ethics that journalists must take into account:
1. Acknowledge your identity as a journalist. Do not pretend otherwise.
Sources must be given the opportunity to know that they are talking to a journalist. People’s reactions will almost certainly be different when they are
aware they are talking to a journalist.
2. Protect your sources’ identity.
