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FREEDOM, ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of information and infoethics Codes of ethics, codes of practice and global values in the newsroom: guidelines for journalists and information professionals

KEYTOPICS

  • Freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of information and infoethics
  • Codes of ethics, codes of practice and global values in the newsroom: guidelines for journalists and information professionals
  • Journalistic ethics in news gathering and processing (ethic committees, ombudsman, independent press councils/press complaint commissions)
  • Press freedom advocates and media watchdogs
  • Rights and responsibilities of citizens: connecting the journalist and the citizen
  • Citizen reporting and user-generated content

PDF] The Debate on the Moral Responsibilities of Online Service Providers |  Semantic Scholar

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this unit, teachers will be able to:

  • describe the universal principles of freedom of the press, freedom of expression and freedom of information, and their implications for news reporting
  • analyze how ethics applies to the practice of journalism and information professionals at the personal, professional and global levels
  • appreciate the role of press freedom advocates and media watchdogs in pursuing and protecting press freedom and responsibility
  • explain the corresponding rights and responsibilities of citizens as part of the loop in the practice of journalism and information professionals; and
  • understand and analyze citizen reporting or the evolving role of citizens or non- professional journalists as active participants in generating media content and in the democratic process of public debate

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES and ACTIVITIES

‘In the end journalism is an act of character.’

Bill Kovach andTom Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism

If the state seeks to regulate the media it will interfere with the independence of journalists                                                 81

and their ability to cover events in the way they deem best. But the media are social actors who can exert great power in society so, in order to protect their freedom from regulation and control, it is usually believed that journalists need to regulate themselves by adopting codes of ethical conduct or setting out professional guidelines on how stories or events should be covered.

Examine the code of ethics established by journalists – (one example is the code of ethics established by the International Federation of Journalists; another example would be the BBC’s professional standards). Assess the intended purpose of each element of the codeAPPLICATION – CODE OF JOURNALISTIC ETHICS

    • Discuss why a code of ethics should be developed and agreed upon by the members of the profession themselves and not imposed by external agents or authorities
    • Discuss the mechanisms needed to enforce the code of ethics

Ethics in politics: are politicians like the citizens they represent? -  netivist

APPLICATION – CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS

  • Examine the code of ethics established by information professionals, such as librarians or archivists, including major principles and values (e.g. the set of ethics codes for archivists established by the International Council of Archives or professional codes of ethics developed by individual countries for librarians, such as the American Library Association)
    • Discuss information ethics issues related to ownership, access, privacy, security and community
    • Discuss how information ethics influence personal decisions, professional practice and public policy
    • Discuss how evolving new information formats and needs influence ethical principles, and how these codes are applied (e.g. digital preservation, privacy and access to public information)
— ACTIVITIES
  • The teacher is required to look up the Freedom of the Press Index of Freedom House (freedomhouse.org) or the Worldwide Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, or a relevant regional measure, such as the media Afrobarometer and determine the rating that his or her country has received. The learner will: (1) explain whether he or she agrees with the rating, and (2) identify and explain the factors or variables that

82                  have affected the freedom of the press rating of his or her country. Criteria covered in these indices include

  • Degree of freedom of print, broadcast and online media (e.g. Internet)
  • Legal environment for media
  • Political pressures that influence reporting
  • Economic factors that affect access to information
  • Media ownership concentration
  • Direct attacks on journalists and media
  • Existence of state monopoly in media
  • Existence of censorship and self-censorship in media
  • Difficulties of foreign reporters
  • There are many organizations in the world that campaign to defend Some are international, such as International Media Support in Denmark, Article 19 in London and the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York. Consider whether there are press freedom organizations active in your country and how these have contributed to the protection of press freedom and freedom of expression.
  • The teacher will show examples of reporting that depict prejudices, including stereotyping, mythmaking, obscenity and graphic Teachers will be led through a discussion on the importance of standards and general guidelines for journalists, and will submit a report on the issues presented in the video.
  • The teacher interviews a media ombudsman or representative of a media watchdog organization (or similar group) to inquire about common criticisms or complaints of alleged professional or ethical lapses of journalists and/or news The

teacher reviews provisions of codes of ethics and examines whether issues raised are adequately covered in existing professional codes. Members of the class call local media outlets to check if they have codes of conduct for their journalists. They may inquire further about how provisions of these codes are being enforced or implemented.

  • The teacher makes an inventory of the coverage by citizen reporting of an event or issue prominently covered by mainstream He or she checks for factual errors or bias.
  • Students are required to maintain a journal or log book where (daily) observations on the topic (e.g. violations of freedom of the press/expression/information and/or examples of unethical practice of journalism) are recorded for summary and synthesis at the end of the

ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Media log
  • Research papers, g., press freedom rating, codes of conduct, citizen reporting
  • Reflection papers on interviews, TV-film viewing
  • Participation in group learning activities, g., workshops, class discussions

TOPICS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION

Public’s right to know and principles of freedom of information: Article 19
  • Freedom of information/expression: International covenants, conventions, declarations and charters, and National laws (constitutional provisions; laws on libel, national security)
  • Access to information laws and procedures, as well as declarations and charters, recommendations
  • Ingredients that constitute a good freedom of information law and practice
  • Self-regulation and media ombudsman
  • Reporters’ rights
 

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