Malé, Maldives – Following the announcement of a revised code of ethics for Maldivian media and journalists by Maldives Media Council (MMC), many local media outlets have come out in support of the revision.
Meeting the modern standards of a code of ethics by MMC has been a welcome change, with over 60 media outlets signing in endorsement of the revision. This is the first time such a revision has been made to the code of ethics by MMC since first introducing the ethics code in 2011.
The revision was brought about with full cooperation of local media, as well as the Maldives Journalists Association and the Editor’s Guild, said MMC.
Some of the main standards to be followed by media outlets and journalists alike are:
- Respect the religion of Islam, the constitution of the Maldives and all laws that fall within.
- Respect the public’s right to the truth.
- Respect human rights and maintain social conduct.
- Refrain from engaging in benefits and influences that may negatively impact journalism.
- Maintain journalistic standards and not be held back by any fear.
Speaking to local media outlet Sun, President of MMC Mohamed Shafau Hassan said, “[w]e always talk about press freedom. But with the freedom comes responsibility. With the new revisions, we explain to the public our responsibilities, and how we will work.”
According to Shafau, one of the main revisions of the new code of ethics includes a mandatory requirement for media outlets to inform the public of any erroneous reporting, and in situations where articles are removed, to explain the reasoning behind doing so.
While as of now, all media outlets a required to follow and abide by the new code of ethics, in the future local media outlets will be required to put together their own code of ethics based on the MMC code.
