Proposed code of ethics for media
The proposed code of ethics for journalists will not be regulated and will only serve as a framework for journalists, Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information Charitha Herath said.
Speaking to The Nation, Herath pointed out that the proposed code of ethics was initiated to establish a common set of guidelines for all media organizations in the country. “There is a need for such guidelines, especially when it comes to the electronic media and the Internet. The print media have their guidelines where some publications have drafted their own set of guidelines. But it is not the case with electronic and web based media,” he said.
However, the Chief Executive Officer of the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL), Sukumar Rockwood said there was no need for a separate code when a code by the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka was already in place. “Why do we have to duplicate it and rewrite them in a different form?” he said.
Herath said even though there were codes of ethics set out by several organizations, there was a need for a common set of guidelines for all media institutions. “There are certain institutions that are not part of the Editors’ Guild. In addition these codes do not include certain NGOs and Trade Unions. Therefore, we had to draft a common set of ethics to all institutions,” Herath said.
Herath added that certain incidents that occurred recently had also prompted them to come up with the code. “There were a few incidents in the recent times that raised questions on the role of the media and its involvements. Therefore, we thought it would be better to come up with a set of guidelines which the journalists can keep as guidelines,” he said.
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