Press councils must be able to act independently of government

We hope that things like an idea or a piece of writing prohibited, an image banned, or a photo unavailable on printed pages will belong to the past.

Freedom from the censorship of the [Myanmar] Press Scrutiny Board is a sweet song of freedom for journalists. Accountability that will accompany the freedom is a challenge too. It is time for us who live under the fetters of the Press Scrutiny Board to wake up.

We believe that freedom must be accompanied by accountability and ethics. As journalists are citizens, we are also required to abide by laws, like all citizens. We also have to continue to press for the abolishment of unfair laws. We believe that ethics for respective livelihoods should also be clearly established.

As in other countries, an independent organisation is needed to handle the problems of the press through negotiations. We cannot accept the revival of the Press Scrutiny Board in any other form. We have no objection to a press council that will handle the problems of the press through negotiations. Under the current transition and due to various circumstances, we have no objection to a press council with certain ties to the government. However, we believe that the process of electing the members of the press council and its mandates should be transparent. We are desirous of a fair and effective press council that can handle the affairs of journalists even if it is not independent.

It is required that a press council handle the affairs of journalists and supervises their ethics but is not a lackey organisation of the government. We cannot accept such a minion press council. The press council should not be an organisation whose chairman and secretary have already been appointed in the mind of the authorities. It should not be a puppet show that repeats the same story again and again. So we are pressing our request to the government.

The press council should not be an organisation that blindly defends journalists. It is inappropriate if journalists are privileged or punished more severely, as they are ordinary citizens just like the general public.

The main responsibility of press councils and similar organisations across the world is to handle the problems of the press through negotiations, and to monitor the ethics of journalists. As ethics concerns conduct, ethics offences should not be treated like crimes.

If there is an objection concerning a piece of writing, a press council should negotiate for a solution to prevent unnecessary lawsuits, by urging the writer to apologise for a mistake if necessary, or defending the writer if his or her writing is not wrong. Here, whether something is ethical or unethical matters a lot. It is the responsibility of organisations like press councils to decide on such issues. In the international community, the highest authority of a press council is to apply pressure on unethical journalists to leave the field.

If a lawsuit is necessary, the matter should be solved in court according to the laws. It also necessary to abolish or amend outdated laws applied during dictatorships, like defamation of the state. It is unacceptable if a defamation case is treated like a crime.

The rest will be decided by the fifth estate, or the people. We believe that people will not pay for writing that does not make sense. It can clearly be seen in the international community that an organisation of journalists is just a body of people who follow the same profession. In addition, there is no need to supervise a body that is formed under the freedom of organisation. At present there are three journalist organisations in Myanmar: the Myanmar Journalists’ Union, the Myanmar Journalists’ Association and the Myanmar Journalists’ Network. It must also be recognised that they are not affiliated organisations under the press council.  However, if some leaders of the organisations are willing to join the press council under secret negotiations to secure a seat on it, it is up to them.

Even if a league or confederation of journalist organisations emerges later, it should still be an independent organisation. It should not be an affiliated body of the press council. In Britain, the National Union of Journalists is independent of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), which succeeded the Press Council. Arrangements are underway to reform the PCC.

As the press council is responsible for supervising the ethics of journalists, it should be formed with dignitaries. Here we would like to reiterate the attitude of the Eleven Media Group (EMG) toward the Committee for Professional Conduct (CPC). The EMG stepped aside when the CPC was formed, as it was against the principles the EMG stands for. The EMG proposed the requirements for members of the CPC. The requirements should also be applied in the formation of the press council if desired.

If an organisation that is supposed to supervise the ethics of journalists is led by people who do not understand the ethics, or by those who are notorious or immoral, no one will respect it. Compared to similar organisations in the international community, it is obvious that an organisation like a press council is a body that supervises the ethics of journalists not through power but through influence. Therefore, people who will lead the press council are required to be respectable.

We have to make clear that we cannot accept the press council if it is led by people who just want to enjoy privileges at the expense of their reputation, or those who are linked to the dictators asor who have undesirable backgrounds. An organization that is supposed to supervise the ethics of journalists will not be respectable if it is led by those who enjoy privileges and seek opportunities for their children.

News has spread that leaders of the press council will be chosen by the President’s Office, although the journalists’ organisations are allowed to propose their own candidates. Whether they are appointed by the President’s Office or the Ministry of Information, the EMG is desirous of fairness in the process. The EMG has also made ity clear that it cannot accept a press council that is formed with lackeys of the government.

If the press council is to take the duties of the Press Scrutiny Board, it will be the same organisation with another name. We believe that freedom of the press is essential for democracy. We recognise the accountability and ethics of the press. Therefore, we request that the government support the emergence of a press council led by people who can keep precepts and solve problems through negotiations.

 

This is the opinion of the editorial board of the Eleven Media Group based on its discussions of ethics and international journalists’ associations.