Journalist Code of Ethics in India: Significant Unique Features
The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments, and information on the matter of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased, sober and decent manner. Toward this end, the Press is expected to conduct itself in keeping with certain norms of professionalism universally recognized. The norms enunciated below and other specific guidelines appended thereafter when applied with due discernment and adaptation to the varying circumstance of each case will help the journalist to self regulate his or her conduct.
The detailed version of all the Journalist Code of Conduct India according to Press Council India as Norms of Journalistic Conduct (edition 2010) is presented in the following link.
Among these Code of Conducts, accuracy, fairness, verification, editorial independence, anti-defamation, right to privacy, letters to editor, anti-obscenity and vulgarity, communal harmony, professional conducts, source confidence, diplomacy etc. are the common code of conducts which are usually included in most of the country’s journalist code of conducts. However, in India, there is some significantly unique code of conducts that are applicable mostly only in India. Some of them are mentioned as follows:
1. Criticism of Public Figures/Music Reviews
An actor or singer who appears on a public stage submits his performance to the judgment of public and as such the critics’ comments having proximate nexus with the merits of artists performance cannot be held to be defamatory. However, the critics should refrain from writing anything, which could be construed as remotely casting a cloud on the artist’s personal credibility.
2. Glorification/encouragement of social evils to be eschewed
Newspapers shall not allow their columns to be misused for writings which have a tendency to encourage or glorify social evils like Sati Pratha or ostentatious celebrations.
3. Headings not to be sensational/provocative and must justify the matter printed under them
a. In general, and particularly in the context of communal disputes or clashes
i. Provocative and sensational headlines are to be avoided;
ii. Headings must reflect and justify the matter printed under them;
iii. Headings containing allegations made in statements should either identify the body or the source making it or at least carry quotation marks.
4. Paramount national interest
a. Newspapers shall, as a matter of self-regulation, exercise due restraint and caution in presenting any news, comment or information which is likely to jeopardize, endanger or harm the paramount interests of the State and society, or the rights of individuals with respect to which reasonable restrictions may be imposed by law on the right to freedom of speech and expression under clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution of India.
b. Publication of wrong/incorrect map is a very serious offense. It adversely affects the territorial integrity of the country and warrants prompt and prominent retraction with regrets.
5. Illegal reproduction
The Press shall not reproduce in any form offending portions or excerpts from a proscribed book
6. Astrological prediction
The promotion of astrological prediction and superstitious practices are likely to produce an unsettling effect on the minds of the readers and is thus undesirable. The editors of general interest dailies and periodicals who believe in promoting a scientific temper and in combating superstition and fatalism should avoid publication of astrological predictions. Readers who are interested in the subject of astrology can turn to specialized publications on the subject.
7. HIV/AIDS and the Media – DO’S and DON’TS
(Since several parts of India is still unaware about HIV/AIDS, journalists are supposed to follow the Dos and Don’ts under this article of Journalist Code of Conduct.)
8. Covering communal disputes/clashes
News, views or comments relating to communal or religious disputes/clashes shall be published after proper verification of facts and presented with due caution and restraint in a manner which is conducive to the creation of an atmosphere congenial to communal harmony, amity, and peace. Sensational, provocative and alarming headlines are to be avoided. Acts of communal violence or vandalism shall be reported in a manner as may not undermine the people's confidence in the law and order machinery of the State. Giving community-wise figures of the victims of communal riot, or writing about the incident in a style which is likely to inflame passions, aggravate the tension, or accentuate the strained relations between the communities/religious groups concerned, or which has a potential to exacerbate the trouble, shall be avoided.
Apart from these codes of conducts set by Press Council of India, there are additional code of Ethics as per the Code of Ethics of the All-India Newspaper Editors’ Conference. After taking into consideration the various draft codes prepared by the All-India Newspaper Editors’ Conference (A.I.N.E.C.) and the Indian Federation of Working Journalists, as also the code formulated by the United Nations Sub-committee on Freedom of Information and of the Press, the Press Commission of India in its report of 1954 presented the following code of journalistic ethics:
1. As the press is a primary instrument in the creation of public opinion, journalists should regard their calling as a trust and be eager to serve and guard their public interests.
2. In the discharge of their duties, journalists should attach due value to fundamental, human and social rights and shall hold good faith and fair play in news reports and comments as essential professional obligations.
3. Journalists should observe special restraints in reports and comments dealing with tensions, likely to lead, or leading to civil disorder.
a) Journalists shall particularly observe maximum restraint in publishing reports and comments relating to communal tension, incidents, riots, incipient situations likely to lead to communal disturbances. The identification of communities which may lead to chain reactions should be avoided.
b) Journalists should endeavor at an rimes to promote the unity of the country and nation, pride in the country, its people, its achievements and its strengths in diversity. Journalists should be most circumspect in dealing with movements and ideas which promote regionalism at the cost of national unity.
c) Any reportage on ideas of fresh partition and secessionism must be treated with great caution. Any comment likely to give comfort to the proponent of such ideas and further their interests should be avoided. The integrity of the country and of Indian people must be considered sacrosanct and beyond question.
4. Journalist should endeavor to ensure that information disseminated is factually accurate. No fact shall be distorted or the essential facts deliberately omitted. No information known to be false shall be published.
5. Responsibility shall be assumed for all information and comments published. If responsibility is disclaimed, this will be explicitly stated.
6. Confidences shall always be respected. Professional secrecy must be preserved.
7. Any report found to be inaccurate and any comment on inaccurate reports shall be voluntarily rectified. It shall be obligatory to give fair publicity to a correlation of contradiction when a report published is shown to be false or inaccurate in material particulars.
8. Journalists shall not exploit their status for non-journalistic purposes.
9. Journalists shall not allow personal interest to influence professional conduct.
10. There is nothing so unworthy as the acceptance or demand of a bribe or inducement for the exercise by a journalist of his power to give or deny publicity to news or comments.
11. Freedom in the honest collection and publication of news and facts and the rights of their comments and criticisms and principles which every journalist should always defend.
12. Journalists shall be very conscious of their obligations to their fellows in the profession and shall not seek to deprive fellow journalists of their livelihood by unfair means.
13. The carrying on of personal controversies in the press in which no public interest is involved shall be regarded as derogatory to the dignity of the profession.
14. It is unprofessional to give currency to rumors or loose talk affecting the private lives of individuals. Even verifiable news affecting the private lives of individuals shall not be published unless the public interest as distinguished from public curiosity demands its publication.
15. The Press shall refrain from publishing matters likely to encourage vice and crimes.
Conclusion
These are undoubtedly guidelines which can safely be borne in mind by journalists before embarking on their reporting expeditions. Newspapers and news channels taking sides in an approaching case either for or against a party are sure to embarrass the trial or land the trial in jeopardy and exert undue pressure on the Courts. A journalist has to be circumspect as to what he says or writes in respect of a case before, during and after the trial. Apart from tending to bias or poison the public mind about the merits of the case, the journalistic adventurism may even tend to prevent litigants or the accused from obtaining a fair verdict. Prevention is always better than curative measures if any, taken after the damage has been done. There is no meaning in having an in-house regulatory mechanism if the same is ineffective as a preventive measure.
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