Code of Ethics of Various Journalists' Unions in Asia

Cambodia |China | Hong Kong |India |Indonesia |Japan |Malaysia |Philippines |Singapore |South Korea |Sri Lanka |Taiwan |Thailand |

CAMBODIA

Information not yet available. 

CHINA

Information not yet available. 

HONG KONG

Hong Kong Journalists' Association
Code of Ethics

  1. A journalist has a duty to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards.
  2. A journalist shall at all times defend the principle of the freedom of the press and other media in relation to the collection of information and the expression of comment and criticism. He/She shall strive to eliminate distortion, news suppression and censorship.
  3. A journalist shall strive to ensure that the information he/she disseminates is fair and accurate, avoid the expression of comment and conjecture as established fact and falsification, by distortion, selection or misrepresentation.
  4. A journalist shall rectify promptly any harmful inaccuracies, ensure that correction and apologies receive due prominence and afford the right of reply to persons criticised when the issue is of sufficient importance.
  5. A journalist shall obtain information, photographs and illustrations only by straight forward means. The use of other means can be justified only by over-riding considerations of the public interest. The journalist is entitled to exercise a personal conscientious objection to the use of such means.
  6. Subject to justification by over-riding considerations of the public interest, a journalist shall do nothing which entails intrusion into private grief and distress.
  7. A journalist shall project confidential sources of information.
  8. A journalist shall not accept bribes or shall he/she allow other inducements to influence the performance of his/her professional duties.
  9. A journalist shall not lend himself/herself to the distortion or suppression of the truth because of advertising or other considerations.
  10. A journalist shall not originate material which encourages discrimination on grounds of race, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
  11. A journalist shall not take private advantage of information gained in the course of his/her duties, before the information is public knowledge.

INDIA

All India Newspaper Editors' Conference:
Code of Ethics for the Press in Reporting
and Commenting on Communal Incidents
Adopted in 1968

  1. A free press can flourish only in a free society. Communalism is a threat to the fabric of our free society and to the nation's solidarity.
  2. The press has a vital role to play in the consummation of the fundamental objectives enshrined in our Constitution, namely, democracy, secularism, national unity, and integrity and the rule of law. It is the duty of the press to help promote unity and cohesion in the hearts and minds of the people, and refrain from publishing material tending to excite communal passions or inflame communal hatred.
  3. To this end the press should adhere to the following guidelines in reporting on communal incidents in the country:
      a) All editorial comments and other expressions of opinion, whether through articles, letters to the Editor, or in any other form should be restrained and free from scurrilous attacks against leaders or communities, and there should be no incitement to violence.

      b) Generalised allegations casting doubts and aspersions on the Patriotism and loyalty of any community should be eschewed.

      c) Likewise, generalised charges and allegations against any community of unfair discrimination, amounting to inciting communal hatred and distrust, must also be eschewed.

      d) Whereas truth should not be suppressed, a deliberate slanting of news of communal incidents should be avoided.

      e) News of incidents involving loss of life, lawlessness, arson, etc. should be described, reported, and headlined with restraint in strictly objective terms and should not be heavily displayed.

      f) Items of news calculated to make for peace and harmony and help in the restoration and maintenance of law and order should be given prominence and precdence over other news.

      g) The greatest caution should be excercised in the selection and publication of pictures, cartoons, poems, etc. so as to avoid arousing communal passions or hatred.

      h) Names of communities should not be mentioned nor the terms "majority" and "minority" communities be ordinarily used in the course of reports.

      i) The source from which casualty figures are obtained should always be indicated.

      j) No facts or figures should be published without fullest possible verification. However, if the publication of the facts or figures is likely to have the effect of arousing communal passions, those facts and figures may not be given. 

INDONESIA

Information not yet available. 

JAPAN

Information not yet available. 

MALAYSIA

Canons of Journalism  

Whereas the Malaysian Press reiterates its belief in the principles of Rukunegara and the national aspirations contained therein;  

Whereas the Malaysian Press does hereby adhere to the following Canons of Journalism:  

  1. The primary responsibility of the Malaysian journalist is to report facts accurately and faithfully and to respect the right of the public to the truth.
  2. In pursuant of this duty he shall uphold the fundamental freedom in the honest collection of news and the right to fair comment and criticism.
  3. He shall use only proper methods to obtain news, photographs/films and documents.
  4. It shall be his duty to rectify and publish information found to be incorrect.
  5. He shall respect the confidentiality of the source of information.
  6. He shall uphold standards of morality in the performance of his duties and shall avoid plagiarism, calumny or slander, libel, sedition, unfounded accusations or acceptance of bribe in any form.
  7. He shall avoid publication of news or reports, communal or extremist in nature, or contrary to the moral value of multiracial Malaysia.
  8. It shall be incumbent upon him to understand public and national policies pertaining to the profession.

 

PHILIPPINES

Journalist's Code of Ethics
Formulated by Philippine Press Institute and National Press Crub

  1. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts or to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognise the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.
  2. I shall not violate confidential information or material given me in the exercise of my calling.
  3. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended for publication.
  4. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public interest justifies it. At the same time, I shall fight vigorously for public access to information.
  5. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.
  6. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.
  7. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.
  8. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society.
  9. I shall not take unfair advantage of fellow journalists.
  10. I shall accept only such tasks as are compatible with the integrity and dignity of my profession, invoking the 'conscience clause' when duties imposed on me conflict with the voice of my conscience.
  11. I shall comport myself in public or while performing my duties as journalist in such manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt, decency should be my watch word.

Press Foundation of Asia
Reporting Ethnic Tensions
The principles below evolved out of a nine-nations journalism conference
conducted by the Press Foundation of Asia in Davao City, April 1970.

  1. Factual accuracy in a single story is no substitute for the total truth. A single story which is factually accurate can nonetheless be misleading.
  2. Prejudice may sell newspapers but newspapers should resist the temptation to exploit human fears for commercial gains.
  3. In mixed societies, editors should be aware of the danger of feeding by selective reporting, common prejudicial stereotypes about groups. Generalisations based on the behaviour of an individual or a small number of individuals are invariably unjust.
  4. When there is potential for communal tension, there should be a constant effort to investigate and expose the underlying causes.
  5. Statistics can be used to excite passion. It should always be checked and interpreted.
  6. All stories of communal, racial or religious nature should be scrupulously ascribed to their source. The authority of the source should be properly evaluated.
  7. Advertisement of an unfair discriminating nature should not be accepted.
  8. Editors have a responsibility for the tone and truth of the letters' column.
  9. Harm can be done by distortion in translation, especially in areas where several languages are spoken. Words and phrases may have different connotations among different groups.
  10. It should be recognised that editorial comment, however benign, does not necessarily compensate for the harm done by a misleading news report.
  11. Journalists should always use cool and moderate language, especially in headlines and also in display. No concession should be made to rhetoric. Lurid and gory details and emotive reference to past history should be avoided.
  12. In mixed societies where extra-territorial loyalties are often alleged and are a cause of tension, great care should be taken about stories imputing interference by a foreign power unless it is clearly established.
  13. The traditional newspaper standards of checking for accuracy should be applied with even greater rigour in any stories involving racial, religious or communal groups. Statements should not be accepted at face value from any source, including official ones, and where necessary, these should be accompanied in the news columns by corroboration and interpretation.
  14. Unverified runour is not the proper content of news columns especially when there is great danger in speculation about violence.
  15. When there is violence, particular care should be taken about publication of the first incidents.
  16. Every effort should be made to portray ethnic groups in other than conflict situations.
  17. When violence has broken out, the role of government in the supply of information is crucial. There must be a continuous supply of information from this source to prevent rumour, speculation and needless panic. In these circumstances, a close working relationship between the Press and the Government is essential and there should be no division of interest.
  18. Casualty figures can cause chain reactions, and experience has shown that official figures may be under or over estimated.
  19. Pictures can distort reality. An unrepresentative picture may lie even more than a news story and add to prejudices.
  20. Journalists, particularly foreign correspondents, should not report crises without a sufficient understanding of the background of events and trends.
  21. In newspaper groups publishing in different languages, care should be taken that they speak with the same voice on explosive issues and in times of tension. The cumulative effect of differing coverage and opinion is deadly.
  22. In mixed societies with underlying causes of tension - social, economic or religious - newspapers and the broadcast media should initiate investigative and interpretative stories with sociological content. These would spread understanding and also help disperse an environment of resentment and suspicion which can turn a minor incident into a riot.

SINGAPORE

Singapore National Union of Journalists'
Code of Professional Conduct 

  1. Every member shall maintain good quality of workmanship and high standard of conduct.
  2. No member shall do anything that will bring discredit on himself/herself, his/her union, his/her newspaper or other news media or his/her profession.
  3. Every member shall defend the principles of freedom in the honest collection and dissemination of news and the right of fair comment and criticism.
  4. Every member shall realise his/her personal responsibility for everything he/she prepares for his/her newspaper or other news media.
  5. Every member shall report and interpret the news with scrupulous honesty.
  6. Every member shall use only honest methods to obtain news, pictures and documents.
  7. No member shall accept any form of bribe whether for publication or suppression nor permit personal interest to influence his/her sense of justice.
  8. Every member shall respect all necessary confidence regarding sources of information and private documents.
  9. Every member shall keep in mind the dangers in the laws of libel, contempt of court and copyright.
  10. Every member shall observe at all times the fraternity of their profession and shall never take unfair advantage of a fellow member.

SOUTH KOREA

Press Ethics Code, 1986

The social mission of Korean journalists is extremely important, all the more so because the nation is confronted with the task of reconstructing the homeland into a democratic, unified, independent country. Thoroughly aware of this, Korean journalists have organised the Korean Newspaper Editors Association chiefly among the editors of daily newspapers and news agencies across the country and have adopted the Press Ethics Code in order to rectify press ethics and firmly uphold their journalistic integrity. Journalists have pledged themselves to be faithfully to the Code and to fulfil the people’s expectation of good journalism. Not only editors but all engaged with the press shall abide by this Code. Since this Code calls for voluntary implementation, there is no authoritative organisation which enforces it. However, if newspapers and journalists are unfaithful to the Code, they will surely lose public support and thereby endanger their very survival.

Freedom. Freedom of the press, one of the most basic rights of human beings, must be protected so as to satisfy the people’s right to know. The press has complete freedom to report and comment. Although any violation of public interest is subject to control under general law, there can be no law restricting or interfering with the freedom of the press. Freedom of the press, of course, includes freedom to criticise and oppose any such law.

Responsibility. The press, being a social instrument, has a special public position, and journalist command a unique social standing. However, this position results only if the press gives the public a true picture of affairs and the public uses this picture as the basis for their judgements. Therefore, the most important responsibility of the press is to faithfully serve the public interest based on the realisation that the public relies upon the press. This responsibility also constitutes the most important reason for preserving the press’s special public position. The press displays its special position concretely by being always dauntless in the pursuit of justice, courageous in opposing injustice and in siding with and speaking for the weak.

Reporting and Commenting. The speedy and faithful dissemination of facts is vial to reporting. Therefore, the facts subject to reporting must be limited to those whose value can be verified in terms of their source and content. In commenting, a journalist’s independent beliefs and opinions should be expressed fairly and courageously; in particular, any prejudice that deliberately distorts or evades the truth should be guarded against. Journalists should be sincere towards the public by being as thorough and correct in reporting and commenting as possible.

Independence. The press should stand on the principle that all persons are equal before the law, and should not be swayed by any political, economic or other social prejudices. At the same time, the press cannot be used privately for individual interests running counter to the public interest or for worthless or immoral purposes. Journalists cannot escape responsibility simply because others ordered or requested special treatment.

Honour and Freedom. The press should respect the honour of others and cannot violate individual rights or sentiment out of curiosity or evil intent. In parallel with the demand for the freedom of the press, the press should have the magnanimity to recognise the freedom claimed by others.

Dignity. A high degree of dignity and pride is required of the press because of its public position In particular, vulgar conduct or any activity resulting in vulgarity cannot be tolerated.

Guidelines for reporting.

[1] Interpretation of the provisions of Articles 3 and 4, Chapter "Honour and Freedom of Others", Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code (October 13, 1961):

  1. Offenders caught in the very act shall be excepted from he "principle that in reporting criminal cases, the accused shall be treated as not guilty until convicted, " Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code’
  2. The term "minor" mentioned in Article 4, Chapter "Honour and Freedom of Others" Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code, means those who are under twenty years of age.
  3. In the provision that the name and picture of minor suspects and the accused and sexually assaulted women shall not be disclosed. in Article 4, Chapter "Honour and Freedom of Others" Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code, no number of home address in the case of Seoul and other cities, nor name of village in other provincial areas, can be disclosed.
  4. In giving addresses, no number, "doing" and "ban" in Seoul and other cities, nor village "ban" and number in other provincial areas can be disclosed.

[2] Regarding sexually assaulted women, the Commission made the ruling on May 26, 1965, that "in giving address, no number, `doing’ and `ban’ in Seoul and other cities, nor village `ban’ and number in other provincial areas can be given." Again on October 2, 1978, the Commission ruled that even if an address is not given directly, any information leading to the inference of the victim’s address, such as a case in which the culprit is identified with the remark, "he assaulted a woman of his village," or in which the location of the victim’s office is given or the names of her relatives are identified is also subject to control.

[3] Interpretation of the provisions of Articles 1 and 2, Chapter "Honour and Freedom of Others" Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code (February 15, 1963).

  1. No individual honour shall be damaged unless so doing is for the sake of public interest.
  2. Even if it is for public interest, no undue personal attacks or low language can be used.
  3. The same is true for individuals, public officials, offices or organisations, and of juridical persons, non-juridical persons or groups.

[4] Reporting of Suicides (January 8, 1967)

In consideration of the effect the reports of suicide have on society, the Commission makes the following rules as the criteria for such reports:

  1. The name and amount of the lethal dose of the medicine used in suicide shall not be given. However, such may be reported in incidents related with crime or carrying a special social significance.
  2. Cruel methods of suicide shall not be described.
  3. Since the words "group suicide" can be an inaccurate expression in case it involves children and other family members not willing to die, accurate expression shall be used depending on the incident. At no time should such incidents be reported in a way that caters to the public’s curiosity, nor should they be beautified.

[5] Notice on reports about stimulants. (April 18, 1979)

Since the giving or the names of stimulants such as Sekonal and adhesive glue in reporting the cases of adolescents using stimulants is apt to influence innocent adolescents into making similar mistakes, an instruction was handed out not to make public the names of such medicine or material.

[6] Reports on kidnapping (August 30, 1967)

  1. Reports on kidnappings should be made with an emphasis on the safe return of the
  2. kidnapped victim. Such reports shall in principle be withheld so long as the victim remains in the hands of the abductor. However, reports may be made when such reporting is considered necessary for the rescue of the victim.
  3. The whole picture of the kidnapping incident may well be made once the incident has come to a solution.

[7] Reports on suspects (September 6, 1967)

  1. Excepting those caught in the act or those against whom evidence is salient, the address, name, picture and occupation of suspects shall not be disclosed.
  2. No reports that prompt the assumption that suspects are guilty shall be made without any express evidence.
  3. No picture of the brutal scene of an on-the-spot investigation of a criminal case shall be released.

[8] Reports on Protection of Surrendered Agents and Those Informing on Communist Agents (February 14, 1968)

  1. In reports about those who have reported espionage agents and Communist guerrillas, pseudonyms shall be used and their pictures, workshops and addresses shall not be made public. Addresses, however, down to city, county or ward, can be disclosed.
  2. The provision of the preceding paragraph shall also be applied to surrendered espionage agents and Communist guerrillas. However, if government authorities make official announcements or if there exists the need to inform the people, they shall be made public.

[9] Reports without credits (July 26, 1964)

The following violates the provisions of in Article 4, Chapter "Dignity" Guidelines for Implementation of the Press Ethics Code:

  1. Use of distributed articles after replacing its by-line name with that of one’s own correspondent.
  2. Use of the whole of distributed articles without giving any credit.
  3. Use of distributed articles after altering (plagiarising) leads.
  4. Use of plagiarised part of wire service articles in one’s own article.

[10] Children’s newspapers or columns and advertisement on medicine for venereal diseases. (June 1, 1966)

On newspapers where advertisements or medicines for venereal disease are carried, no children’s columns shall be used.

SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka Press Council Code of Ethics for Journalists

Part I: Section (I) - General
Government Notifications. RULES made by Sri Lanka Press Council setting out the Code of Ethics for Journalists under Section 30(i) (a) of the Sri Lanka Press Council Law, No.5 of 1973, and approved by Parliament under Section 30 (3) of the said Law.

1. These rules may be cited as the Press Council (Code of Ethics for Journalists) Rules, 1981. Every journalist shall --

  1. use all reasonable means within his power to ascertain prior to publication the veracity of the contents of any article written by him for publication;
  2. refrain from reporting or causing to be printed or published any matter which he knows or has reason to believe to be false or inaccurate;
  3. refrain from distorting the truth by any act of commission or willful omission;
  4. take all possible steps to correct within the shortest possible space of time any inaccuracy or incorrect information in any report or article for the writing or publication of which he is responsible; and
  5. refrain from publishing or causing to be published any matter which may offend public taste or morality or tend to lower the standards of public taste or morality.

3. Every journalist shall use all reasonable means at his command in any report or article he writes or causes to be printed or published to draw a clear distinction between any statement of fact on the one hand and any expression of opinion or criticism on the other.

4. Every journalist shall observe secrecy regarding any source of information unless the person who gave him such information authorizes the disclosure of his identity.

5. Every journalist shall respect the reputation of an individual and refrain from reporting or causing to be printed or published any information or comment regarding an individual's private life unless the publication of said matter is in the public interest as distinguished from public curiosity.

6. (1) In reporting or causing to be printed or published accounts of crimes or criminal cases, a journalist shall not --

  1. name victims of sex crimes;
  2. name any young person accused of a criminal offense who to his knowledge is below the age of eighteen and to his knowledge is a person who has no previous convictions; or
  3. name any person as being a relative of a person accused or convicted of a crime for the sole purpose of informing the reader of the relationship between the person so named and the person charged, unless the public interest would be served by the publication of the said matter.

6. (2) In reporting or causing to be printed or published accounts of matrimonial causes or actions, a journalist shall refrain from reporting or publishing any offensive details

7. A journalist shall not commit plagiarism.

8. A journalist shall not present any matter in a manner designed to promote sadism, violence or salacity.

9. A journalist shall not report or cause to be printed or published any matter that is obscene unless the public interest is served by the publication thereof.

10. A journalist shall not report or cause to be printed or published any matter for the purpose of promoting communal or religious discord or violence.

11. Every journalist shall safeguard the dignity of his profession. He shall not accept any bribe in money, kind or service for any matter connected with or incidental to his profession.

Source: "Press Council (Code of Ethics for Journalists) Rules, 1981". The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Printed at the Department of Government Printing, Sri Lanka (14 October 1981).

TAIWAN

Information not yet available. 

THAILAND

Information not yet available.