|
Most media journalists
belong to the Australian Journalists Association, a
division of a trade union called the Media Entertainment
and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Members are required to follow a
code of ethics (shown in full below).
What if they breach the
code?
You can lodge a complaint
with the Judiciary Committee of the MEAA. A panel of five
journalists will hear your complaint.
If you are dissatisfied with
the outcome you may lodge an appeal with the Appeals
Committee - a panel of three journalists.
If you still have not
received justice you lodge an appeal with the National
Appeals Committee. It consists of a panel of - you guessed
it - five journalists.
The media proprietors also
have their own cosy self-protection club called the
Australian Press Council. They have a similar mechanism
for dealing with complaints. The AJA withdrew their
support from the Press Council some years ago, according
to Bev East, Industrial Officer for the MEAA, Perth
because "they didn't really do anything. They just
warned people and that was it".
AJA CODE OF ETHICS
Respect for truth and the public's right to
information are fundamental principles of journalism. Journalists describe
society to itself. They convey information, ideas and opinions, a privileged
role. They search, disclose, record, question, entertain, suggest and remember.
They inform citizens and animate democracy. They give a practical form to
freedom of expression. Many journalists work in private enterprise, but all have
these public responsibilities. They scrutinise power, but also exercise it, and
should be accountable. Accountability engenders trust. Without trust,
journalists do not fulfil their public responsibilities. MEAA members engaged in
journalism commit themselves to
- Honesty
- Fairness
- Independence
- Respect for the rights of others
1. Report and interpret honestly,
striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts.
Do not suppress relevant available facts, or give distorting emphasis.
Do your utmost to give a fair opportunity for reply.
2. Do not place unnecessary emphasis
on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality,
gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief,
or physical or intellectual disability.
3. Aim to attribute information to
its source. Where a source seeks anonymity, do not agree without
first considering the source’s motives and any alternative attributable
source. Where confidences are accepted, respect them in all
circumstances.
4. Do not allow personal interest, or
any belief, commitment, payment, gift or benefit, to undermine your
accuracy, fairness or independence.
5. Disclose conflicts of interest
that affect, or could be seen to affect, the accuracy, fairness or
independence of your journalism. Do not improperly use a
journalistic position for personal gain.
6. Do not allow advertising or other
commercial considerations to undermine accuracy, fairness or independence.
7. Do your utmost to ensure
disclosure of any direct or indirect payment made for interviews,
pictures, information or stories.
8. Use fair, responsible and honest
means to obtain material. Identify yourself and your employer before
obtaining any interview for publication or broadcast. Never exploit
a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice.
9. Present pictures and sound which
are true and accurate. Any manipulation likely to mislead should be
disclosed.
10. Do not plagiarise.
11. Respect private grief and
personal privacy. Journalists have the right to resist compulsion to
intrude.
12. Do your utmost to achieve fair
correction of errors.
Guidance Clause
Basic values often need interpretation and
sometimes come into conflict. Ethical journalism requires conscientious
decision-making in context. Only substantial advancement of the public
interest or risk of substantial harm to people allows any standard to be
overridden.
|
