Do journalists really understand the principles of the Code of Practice?After the launch of the Media Code of Practice in 2007, copies were sent to all media houses registered with the IMC. Since then, workshops have been organised by the Commission in various parts of the country each year to popularize the provisions of the Code of Practice and to teach journalists how to use the Code for self regulation. At each workshop, copies were distributed to participants. I will now pick out the major provisions of the Code and speak on them briefly:
TRUTHFULNESS It is imperative that what is put out by media institutions is true, factual, correct and honest. There is a difference between “composition” which we were all required to write in school and news and information dissemination in the context of journalism. When we were in school, we were asked e.g. to “Pretend we made a trip to Kenema for the long vacation. We were asked to describe the journey in detail and how we spent the holiday”. We imagined all the things that would happen in this scenario and developed an “imaginary” story. This is very different from what is required in journalism. In the composition scenario, it is acceptable to make up stories and pretend that they really happened. This is not so in journalism.
In the practice of the profession, we must distinguish between facts and conjecture and opinion
ACCURACY- The accuracy requirement demands that the story must be precise, correct, faultless and factual. The IMC Media Code of Practice states that journalists must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading and distorted materials including pictures. They must make all reasonable effort to check, cross check and re-check the accuracy of their stories before publication.
FAIRNESS- The fairness doctrine implies that in the practice of our profession, we must be just. We must be impartial, objective, unprejudiced and unbiased. A story is not fair if it deceives the reader or listener.
OBJECTIVITY- This principle suggests that we must not allow our personal bias or emotions to cloud or distort the truth. We must endeavour to give not only one side of the story, but all sides of it.
IMPARTIALITY- Like objectivity, impartiality demands that we must not be prejudiced or biased towards a particular side. We must endeavour to be neutral, none discriminating, open minded, unprejudiced and present the facts without fear or favour.
CONFIDENTIALITY- Journalists must respect an agreement on confidentiality. If information is divulged under an arrangement of “confidentiality” between the journalist and the person passing on the information, that arrangement should be honoured at all cost. Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.
COPYRIGHT- Contravention of this principle is rampart in this country, particularly in the print media and in the music industry. Non adherence with regard to the copyright laws has paralysed our once thriving and buoyant music industry and sent many artists into the doldrums. It is obvious from some of our newspapers that most of the sport pages are copied verbatim from the internet and other sources without any reference to the source(s). Last week, I found copy of a mail from Global Post in the USA to one of our editors in my mail box. The letter complained that the newspaper had reproduced substantial content, both text and photograph that was originally published on Global Post. The Global Post took offence at this breach of copyright law and demanded that to mitigate the damage done to their newspaper, the offending newspaper in Sierra Leone should publish a correction, clarifying the rights of Global Post and including an apology for using their story without permission. The letter stated that if the Sierra Leone newspaper failed to do so within a week, the matter would be turned over to the company’s attorney in the USA for legal action.
I must emphasis that plagiarism that is passing off somebody else’s work as if it was your own is a serious offence as it violates the international copyright law, treaties and conventions.
The IMC Media Code of Practice prescribes that any material culled from another publication must be acknowledged and credited or must have permission from the original publisher.
OPP0RTUNITY TO REPLY It is but fair that people are given the opportunity to present their own side of the story if they request to do so. In fact that opportunity must be given even before publication, so that the other side is heard. As the IMC Code of Practice demands, the opportunity to reply to inaccuracies must be given to individuals and organisations when called for.
PRIVACY Every individual is entitled to respect for his/her private and family life. A publication will be expected to fully justify intrusion into an individual’s private life without his consent.
HARASSMENT It is wrong for journalists to obtain information through intimidation, harassment, persistent pursuit or blackmail. They must not persist in telephoning, pursuing or photographing after having been asked to desist. They must not remain on their property after being asked to leave and must not follow such individuals.
INTRUSION INTO GRIEF OR SHOCK Incidents of grief and shock must be treated with discretion and sympathy.
CHILDREN Children under the age of 18 must not be interviewed or photographed on subjects involving their welfare in the absence of or without the consent of a parent or guardian.
Pupils must not be interviewed or photographed while at school without the consent of the school authorities
CHILDREN IN SEX AND CRIMINAL CASES The media should not identify children under the age of 18 that are involved in cases concerning sexual or criminal offences whether as victims, perpetrators or witnesses.
INDECENCY AND PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS- Pornographic materials are normally carried in special interest newspapers or magazines and are aimed at adults. It is wrong to carry pornographic materials in general interest newspapers that are read by all and sundry including children. It has no news value and is mainly for titillation
In addition, the Media Code of Practice specifically states that media institutions must avoid publishing or airing information that is derogatory or pejorative to one’s religion, ethnicity, individual lifestyle, physical or mental disability, as this may whip up religious, ethnic and other personal resentment by affected persons with unpleasant consequences.
REPORTING AND COVERAGE OF GENERAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS
The IMC has sourced support to mount several trainings on coverage and reporting of elections including what is expected of journalists in the run up to the elections, coverage of the elections and post election. These workshops will be held in 2011 and 2012.
Suffice it to say at this forum that apart from two media institutions that registered their newspapers as party organs, all radio stations and newspapers in this country are registered as independent entities. They must therefore hold themselves free of any control and direction from the political parties and create a level playing field for all of them throughout the election period.
They must refrain from publishing or broadcasting any matter that has the potential to promote chaos or public disorder or that threatens the peace and security of the state.
They must refrain from ridiculing, stigmatising and demonizing political leaders and election candidates on the basis of sex, ethnicity, race and physical and mental disability.
They must provide equal access and opportunity to all political parties and employ the principles of accuracy, objectivity, fairness and truthfulness in their reportage particularly during the campaign period and in the announcement of the election results.
And now for some examples of unethical headlines that have appeared in some of our newspapers to give an idea of the way that journalists have been contravening the provisions of the Media Code of practice.
……(political party) Secretariat is nasty.
This reference to a political party as being “nasty” is derogatory, pejoratory and contravenes the principles of decency and fairness
….. (Political party) is full of liars
Again, this description of a political party as being full of liars is derogatory and contravenes the principles of decency and fairness.
Useless minister
This reference to a Minister of State as being “useless” is unfair, demeaning and derogatory. Such adjectives should be avoided
“Foday Sankoh’s parlor wife” – showing a photo montage (i.e putting together a couple or more pictures to form a mosaic to create a certain effect). What appeared on the newspaper was what looked like a lady with Foday Sankoh in a very suggestive demeanour
This kind of behaviour contravenes the accuracy requirement which stipulates that newspapers should avoid publishing misleading and distorted materials including pictures. It also fits into the classification of indecent and pornographic materials which are strictly prohibited in the Code
Corrupt court ruling sparks trouble
This description of a Court ruling as being “corrupt” is contempt of court and shows up this newspaper as being ignorant of media law.
….is a criminal
Reference to any individual as being a criminal when this has not been pronounced by a Court of Law is not only unfair, but libelous. It is a serious indictment of an individual by a newspaper which could have merited court action.
Guilty Gambian drug trafficker sent to prison- The story carried the picture of the Gambian Head of State, President Yayah Jammeh
This is an error that is pervasive in our newspapers. Many a time, pictures published with certain stories have nothing to do with the stories. This militates against the principles of truthfulness, accuracy and fairness. The above which suggested that the person in the photograph Yayah Jammeh was the drug trafficker is a case in point. It resulted in a diplomatic row and eventual adjudication by the IMC.
Moslem rebels may ignite religious war
This type of headline is likely to create religious tension in the country as it did when it was published. The Moslems took great exception to some of their members being referred to as rebels and also to the reference to them igniting religious war. The IMC had to quickly deal with this matter by bringing the Moslem and Christian heads together to dialogue over the article and for the offending newspaper to apologise and retract to the satisfaction of both parties. Journalists must be extremely careful not to publish or air any statement that is pejorative to one’s religion, as this may whip up religious resentment with attendant negative repercussions.
They are all mendes followed by a rejoinder Limba/Loko government eliminates Temnes
This was dealt with exhaustively by the IMC recently and a press release issued to the effect. Suffice it to say that newspaper editors should not allow their newspapers to be used by those who may want to settle scores with their opponents as this may have severe consequences for the nation’s fragile peace and security. You must always remember that it is not everyone that has developed broad shoulders and thick skins to take on press bashing and frivolities. Pitching one tribe against another as is currently being done by some newspapers may result in tribal conflicts which may be difficult to contain. Journalists must be extremely careful no to be the harbingers of future conflict and to always remember that they are a major player in the country’s endeavour to sustain peace.
And now finally, how can we ensure that we report more ethically to make the Sierra Leone media more professional? I want to suggest that every journalist must study the IMC Media Code of Practice as it contains all the information that you need to enable you practice self-regulation in the performance of your duties. If you use the Code of Practice as your Bible, you will steer clear of contravention of the Code as well as those laws in the Public Order Act that are inimical to the press freedom and democracy that we all now enjoy.
Another suggestion is that every media institution as is the case elsewhere should have a legal retainer who has oversight responsibility to review difficult articles or those ones over which the editor may have some inhibition, before they are published. I remember the days of editors like Sam Metzger, Sam Short, Clarence Labor and so on, it was not uncommon to see them discuss the content of articles, particularly those highly political, brought in by their reporters before they were published. Even yours truly, as Freetown reporter for West Africa magazine for over 17 years referred some difficult articles to my late cousin Justice Livesesy Luke for perusal before transmitting them by telex in those days to West Africa magazine in London.
The most pungent advice I can give however and which costs nothing other than perhaps delaying publication of the article by a few hours or even a day or two is to give the other side the opportunity to present his /her own side of the story; check , cross check and re-check to ensure that the final version of the story brought in by the reporter is accurate, truthful, fair and objective.
I thank you for your attention.
Bernadette Cole
Chairperson, IMC/ Dean Faculty of Arts, Fourah Bay College, USL
By Bernadette Cole