Building Trust In the New World of Information

Ethical Journalism

Network

Building Trust In the New World of Information Aidan White aidanpatrickwhite@gmail.com

Who we are

A coalition of media professional groups from Europe and around the world committed to building trust in

media and promoting principles of ethical journalism, good governance and self-regulation in the digital age

www.ethicaljournalismnetwork.org

Human Beings are

Ethical Animals

Society is based on respect for rights. These rights are set out in international conventions and standards.

Humanity’s code of conduct:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Convention on Civil and Political Rights

• European Convention on Human rights

Ethics and Journalism

Journalism, too, has conventions and standards. These are set out in codes of conduct agreed at national and international level. There are more than 400 codes. See http://rjionline.org/AS-Codes-of-Ethics

Ethical Journalism is not

Free Expression

• Journalism is not free speech, it is constrained expression.

• It works in a framework of values.

• It has purpose.

• It is a public good.

Values That Constrain

Ethics: truth, independence, impartiality, humanity and accountability…

Other Constraints:

Internet, Changing Industry, Journalism Under Threat in a World of Free Expression

Hate

Speech

and

Media

SEXPAND

Islamophobia on the March

A mob of wild-eyed men yelling, presumably taken during anti-US protests in the Muslim world over the infamous Innocence of Muslims Film in 2012. Did this reflect a widespread anger within the Islamic community worldwide?

An online response…

Snow rage…

Shop rage…

Market rage….

Child rage….

But these are also

out of context:

how do we find

the balance between

image and reality in the

world of open

information?

Tell the Story in Context

Truth, Independence, Impartiality, Humanity and Accountability

Avoid a Rush to Publish

Monitor for Change:

Audience and Media

•Rebuild Ethical Base of journalism

•Seek Industry Commitment to change

•Review and self-regulate

Building Trust

• Journalism shapes the norms and values of society

• It must be accountable . Traditionally we have two forms of regulation

• A) Legal structures for broadcasting

• B) Voluntary structures for the press

• Challenge of Regulation in the Digital Era

• As media converge – should regulation be centralised to cover content across all platforms?

Principles of self-regulation

1. Internal

• Mission statement

• Code of Conduct

• Good governance

• Respond to concerns and complaints

2. External

• Industry-wide system of self-regulation

• Politically independent

• Mix of professional and public representation

EJN at Work Pakistan: Ethical Audits and a Culture of Respect. www.pakmediaethics.org

Egypt: Self-regulation and Solidarity

Indonesia: Model Press Councils for Asia

Africa: Focus on Hate Speech

Europe: Pluralism and Media Rights

Studies:

Does self-regulation work? Paid journalism.

Setting Standards for Online Journalism.

Trust