EYE ON ETHICS

Since 1993, the so-called “Press Council” has expressed and adopted twenty-two ethical rules (as of July 1999), for newspapers, news agencies and the journalists of Bangladesh.

1. The war of liberation, its spirit and ideals must be sustained and upheld, and anything repugnant relative to the war of liberation and its spirit and ideals must not be printed, published or disseminated in any manner by the press.

2. It is the responsibility of a journalist to keep people informed of issues, which influence them or attract them. News and comments have to be prepared and published with full respect for the sensitivity and individual rights of the newspaper readers as well as other people.

3. Truth and accuracy in information shall be ensured.

4. Information received from reliable sources may be published in the public interest with honest intentions and if facts presented therein are considered trustworthy by reasonable consideration. Then the journalist must be absolved of any adverse consequence deriving from publication of such news.

5. Reports based on rumours and not supported by facts shall be verified before publication and if they are considered not suitable for publication, they should not be published.

6. News items whose contents are dishonest and baseless or whose publication hinges on a breach of trust shall not be published.

7. Newspapers and journalists have the right to express their views strongly on controversial issues but in doing so:
a. All true events and views must be expressed clearly.

b. No event shall be distorted in order to influence the readers.

c. No news shall be distorted or slanted dishonestly either in the main comment or in the headline.

d. Views on major news shall be presented clearly and honestly.

8. The editor has the right to publish in his newspaper any advertisement signed by proper authorities, even if it is apparently against some individual interest though not slanderous nor against public interest. If protest is made about such an advertisement, the editor shall print and publish it at no cost.

9. Newspapers shall refrain from publishing any news, which is contemptuous of or disrespectful of the caste, creed, nationality and religion of any individual, community or country.

10. If a newspaper has published news against the interest and good name of any individual, agency, institution or group of people or any special category of people, then the newspaper or journalist concerned should provide the aggrieved persons or institutions with opportunity to publish their protest or answer quickly and correctly within a reasonable period of time.

11. If the published news is damaging or is improper, then it should immediately be withdrawn and corrected or an explanation (and in special cases, an apology) should be issued so that the impression (bad or erroneous) created by the publication of such news be removed.

12. Sensational and trashy news shall not be published to augment the circulation of a paper if such news is deemed vulgar, improper and against the public interest.

13. Newspapers may adopt reasonable measures with a view to resisting crime and corruption even if they may not in some cases be deemed acceptable to someone.

14. The extent and durability of the influence of newspapers is greater than those of other media. For this reason a journalist writing for newspapers shall be particularly cautious about the credibility and veracity of sources and shall also preserve his source material in order to avoid risks.

15. It is the responsibility of the newspapers to publish the news of cases being tried at all stages and to publish the final judgement of the Court in order to present a true picture of the issues relating to the case. But a journalist shall refrain from publishing such comment or opinion as is likely to influence a case sub judice until the final verdict is announced.

16. Any rejoinder by the aggrieved party or parties directly involved in a news item reported in a newspaper shall be quickly published in the same newspaper on such a page as will easily attract the attention of the readers; the editor, while he can edit the rejoinder, shall not change its basic character.

17. If an aggrieved party sends a rejoinder about the damage done to him by an editorial, it shall be the moral obligation of the editor to publish the correction on the same page and also to express his/her regrets.

18. The publication of malicious news is far more immoral than that of wrong news without malicious intent.

19. It is the moral duty of an editor to accept full and sole responsibility for all publications in his/her newspaper.

20. A reporter while reporting on a case of financial or other irregularity shall, to the best of his ability, ascertain the facts in his news story and must collect sufficient evidence to prove the truth of the matter reported. He should adopt the necessary precautions while investigating the case.

21. A responsible publication, which has not been contradicted, may be the source of a piece of news but it shall be a moral duty on the part of a journalist not to avoid responsibility regarding the news on the pretext that it was merely reprinted by him.

22. It is the responsibility of a journalist to highlight any news which points to a degeneration of moral values in our society but it is also the moral responsibility of a journalist to show extra precaution in publishing any news involving man-woman relationships or any report relating to women.