Code of Ethics for Journalists

A Code of Ethics for Indian Journalists

Code of Ethics for Indian Journalists

Attempts to draw up a code of ethics for journalists in India have so far drawn a blank. Neither The Press Council nor the All India Editors’ Conference have  come up with a code acceptable to the whole profession.

In 1966, the Press Council did circulate a list of guidelines to over 10,000 newspapers and Journals, for their observations, but the feedback was not promising enough. In January 1976, a Committee of 17 editors presented a Code of Ethics and an Editors Charter to parliament, but it  was suspect, evolved as  it was during the emergency regime. It gave a rather tall order in stating that the Press must present a truthful, comprehensive and reliable account of the events in a context which gives  them meaning, project a representative picture of constituent groups in society, regard itself as a forum for comment and criticism and criticism and discharge its social responsibjlities by clarifying the goals and values of society. The All-India Small and Medium News papers’ Association had drawn up a Code of Ethics in 1975 however, it was not approved of by the general body. The Second Press Commission(1982) maintained that it would not be desirable to draw up a Code ofEthics for newspapers. It supported the Press Council’s stand that a code should be built up case by case over a period of time.  

The consensus, however, appears to be that the Press should be trusted to regulate itself, and where it invades privacy, or distorts facts, or fosters communalism or fanaticism, the Press Council has powers enough to pull up the offending papers and magazines. One of the penalties suggested is the withdrawal of Government advertisements’ the other is withdrawal of accreditation to  journalists. However, the Press Council has been reluctant to impose any such penalties. 

See Also :

Print Media and Communication	Freedom of Press - The right to Publish and Privacy
Communication and Print media	Council Guides to Journalistic Ethics
Introduction to Print Media	Censorship in the Press and Media
Developments in Print Media	Media Laws
Contribution of News Papers	Press Ownership and Monopoly
Contribution of Magazines	Media Organisations and News Agencies
Press Commissions and Councils	The Mass Media
The Power of Press	Functions of Mass Media
History of Indian Journalism	Theories of the Press or Media
Press Censorship under the Emergency	Code of Ethics for Journalists
News Values in Journalism	Readership and Popularity of Magazine
Magazine genres-Types of Magazine