Mid Term Examination

BS Communication Studies (4th Semester)

Subject: Media Ethics & Law
Student Name: iqra Roll No: 1003
Submitted To : Sir Ahmed
 1. Assignment
Explain in detail the Ethics of
Journalism, and write according to your
own observation the applicability of
them within Pakistan’s Journalism.
Ethics is mainly known as describe moral
sentiment, as well as to establish norms for
good and fair behavior. In the context of
journalism, this is a question about what is
good and what is right journalistically.
Independence. Journalists should avoid taking
political sides and should not act on behalf of
special interest groups. Any political affiliations
or financial investments that might constitute a
conflict of interest with the subject they are
writing about should be declared to editors and
readers.
Fairness. In addition to being independent,
journalists should show impartiality and
balance in their reporting. Most news stories
have more than one side, and journalists should
capture this. That said, they should not place
two different perspectives on equal footing
where one is unsupported by evidence. The
exception to the impartiality rule is opinion
writing, as well as “gonzo” journalism and
creative nonfiction.
Public accountability. News organizations
should listen to their audience. To enable the
public to hold them accountable, journalists
should write under their own bylines and
accept responsibility for their words. When
news outlets publish factual errors, they need
to issue a correction.
Harm minimization. Not every fact that can be
published should be published. If the amount of
harm that could come to private individuals—
particularly children—as a result of disclosure
exceeds the public good that would come of it,
then news outlets might choose not to publish
the story.
Avoiding libel. This is a legal as well as a moral
imperative for journalists. Journalists cannot
print false statements that damage a person’s
reputation.
Proper attribution. Journalists must never
plagiaries. If they use information from another
media outlet or journalist, they need to
attribute it to them
Applicability of Ethics on Pakistan’s
Journalism
In the last few decades, the media has
expanded rapidly around the world.
However, Pakistan has made great strides in
the field of media since the beginning of the
21st century, when enlightened and
moderate thinking was popularized and the
media was allowed to flourish in the name
of freedom of expression. Given the
importance of the media, it was also given
the status of the fourth pillar of the state.
There are no two opinions that the media
should be free in all respects, but this does
not mean that the media is free from rules
and regulations.
Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive
implementation of media laws and
regulations in Pakistan, although there are
examples of violations. These include
unproven allegations in live TV shows,
conducting planted interviews, using hired
actors in real issues, announcing
unconfirmed election results, and debating
court cases. Not only this, with the help of
obscene conversations and exchange of
obscene words between the guests it has
become a norm in our live talk shows. Not
all, but most hosts use this tactic to increase
the rating of the program. Sometimes, even
if the guests do not intend to fight, the host
himself brings up a controversial point
which makes the guest and the host look at
each other.
Our media, especially the electronic media,
often do not seem to adhere to the basic
principles of media rules and regulations,
with impartiality and truth at the forefront.
A group belonging to the media not only
condemns such unprofessional behavior of
the people working in the media but also
criticizes them severely. Whenever such
examples come to light, the anchorpersons
affiliated with the group also discuss the
ethical values of the media in their
programs. But debate is not enough to
prevent violations of media code and ethics.
Within a few days, the effects of the debate
diminished and a new example of violation
emerged

2. Open Book Examination

How have you understood the concepts
of Freedom of Expression and Article
19, and what relevancy you find of both
these subjects within Pakistan’s
Journalism field?
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression refers to the ability
of an individual or group of individuals to
express their beliefs, thoughts, ideas, and
emotions about different issues free from
government censorship
Article 19
Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan
gives the guidelines under which the press
is supposed to function in Pakistan. This
article says:
Every citizen shall have the right to freedom
of speech and expression, and there shall
be freedom of the press, subject to any
reasonable restrictions imposed by law in
the interest of the glory of Islam or the
integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or
any part thereof, friendly relations with
foreign States, public order, decency or
morality, or in relation to contempt of
court, [commission of] or incitement to an
offence.
Relevancy
Media is the fourth pillar of state. It is the
institution that disseminates information on
the latest happenings across the globe.
Owing to its multifarious functions,
especially being an opinion maker, the
media has to dig out the truth. This is
considered the right of media to do
whatever possible to bring reality before
the public. However, with every right comes
a responsibility. So there is a dire need to
set some standards or ethics for media.
Ethics are the principles that determine the
rightness and wrongness of an act. These
are the self-imposed principles that mainly
aim at maintaining decency, harmony and
positivism within the organizations. Ethics
can also be termed as the canons of
morality.
In the present-day world, journalism has got
an unprecedented importance in our lives
because:
1. It acts as watchdog which means that it
protects society from aggression.
2. By bringing in public awareness, it
promotes public participation.
3. It projects the images of politicians and
leaders, etc.
4. It challenges the acts of autocracy and
dictatorship
5. World has become global village, people
stay connected through it.
Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth,
its first loyalty is to the citizens and its
essence is discipline of verification. Its
practitioners must maintain an
independence from those they cover. It
must provide a forum for public criticism
and compromise. It must strive to make the
significant interesting and relevant