Intl Declaration of Principles of Professional Ethics in Journalism

INTERNATIONAL DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN JOURNALISM

Principle I:

PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO TRUE INFORMATION

People and individuals have the right to acquire an objective picture of reality by means of accurate and comprehensive information as well as to express themselves freely through the various media of culture and communication.

Principle II:

THE JOURNALIST’S DEDICATION TO OBJECTIVE REALITY

The foremost task of the journalist is to serve the people’s right to true and authentic information through an honest dedication to objective reality whereby facts are reported conscientiously in their proper context, pointing out their essential connections and without causing distortions, with due deployment of the creative capacity of the journalist, so that the public is provided with adequate material to facilitate the formation of an accurate and comprehensive picture of the world in which the origin, nature and essence of events, processes and states of affairs are understood as objectively as possible.

Principle III:

THE JOURNALIST’S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Information in journalism is understood as social good and not as a commodity, which means that the journalist shares responsibility for the information transmitted and is thus accountable not only to those controlling the media but ultimately to the public at large, including various social interests. The journalist’s social responsibility requires that he or she will act under all circumstances in conformity with a personal ethical consciousness.

Principle IV:

THE JOURNALIST’S PERSONAL INTEGRITY

The social role of the journalist demands that the profession maintains high standards of integrity, including the journalist’s right to refrain from working against his or her conviction or from disclosing sources of information as well as the right to participate in the decision-making of the medium in which he or she is employed. The integrity of the profession does not permit the journalist to accept any form of bribe or the promotion of any private interest contrary to the general welfare. Likewise, it belongs to professional ethics to respect intellectual property and, in particular, to refrain from plagiarism.

Principle V:

PUBLIC ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION

The nature of the profession demands that the journalist promote access by the public to information and participation of the public in the media, including the right to correction or rectification and the right to reply.

Principle VI:

RESPECT FOR PRIVACY AND HUMAN DIGNITY

An integral part of the professional standards of the journalist is respect for the right of the individual to privacy and human dignity, in conformity with provisions of international and national law concerning protection of the rights and the reputation of others, prohibiting libel, calumny, slander and defamation.

Principle VII:

RESPECT FOR PUBLIC INTEREST

The professional standards of the journalist prescribe due respect for the national community, its democratic institutions and public morals.

Principle VIII:

RESPECT FOR UNIVERSAL VALUES AND DIVERSITY OF CULTURES

A true journalist stands fro the universal values of humanism, above all peace, democracy, human rights, social progress and national liberation, while respecting the distinctive character, value and dignity of each culture, as well as the right of each people freely to choose and develop its political, social, economic and cultural system. Thus the journalist participates actively in the social transformation towards democratic betterment of society and contributes through dialogue to a climate of confidence in international relations conducive to peace and justice everywhere, to détente, disarmament and national development. It belongs to the ethics of the profession that the journalist be aware of relevant provisions contained in international conventions, declarations and resolutions.

Principle IX:

ELIMINATION OF WAR AND OTHER GREAT EVILS CONFRONTING HUMANITY

The ethical commitment to the universal values of humanism calls for the journalist to abstain from any justification of, or incitement to, wars of aggression and the arms race, specially in nuclear weapons, and all other forms of violence, hatred and discrimination, specially racialism and apartheid, oppression by tyrannical regimes, colonialism and neocolonialism, as well as other evils which afflict humanity, such as poverty, malnutrition and diseases. By doing so, the journalist can help eliminate ignorance and understanding among peoples, make nationals of a country sensitive to the needs and desires of others, ensure respect for the rights and dignity of all nations, all peoples and all individuals without distinction of race, sex, language, nationality, religion or philosophical conviction.

Principle X:

PROMOTION OF A NEW WORLD INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ORDER

The journalist operates in the contemporary world within the framework of a movement towards new international relations in general and a new international information order in particular. This new order, understood as an integral part of the New International Economic Order, is aimed at decolonization and democratization of the field of information and communication, both nationally and internationally, on the basis of peaceful coexistence among peoples and with full respect for their cultural identity. The journalist has a special obligation to promote the process of democratization of international relations in the field of information, in particular by safeguarding and fostering peaceful and friendly relations among States and peoples.

By way of an appendix to her book, The Manipulated Press: A History of Philippine Journalism since 1945 (second edition), writer Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo shares with us these principles, along with the following explanation: “The UNESCO has conducted consultative meetings with international and regional organizations representing some 400,000 working journalists since 1978. In such meetings, participants expressed support for the UNESCO Declaration on Fundamental Principles Concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War. They also came out with a common understanding of various principles of journalistic ethics culled upon from existing codes and international legal instruments. (This declaration of International Principles) is the output of the fourth UNESCO consultative meeting held in Prague and Paris in 1983. It embodies the sentiments of the following professional associations: International Organization of Journalists (IOJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP), Latin-American Federation of Journalists (FELAP), Latin-American Federation of Free Workers (FELATRAP), Federation of Arab Journalists (FAJ), Union of African Journalists (UJA), and Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ). Filipino journalists may find it useful to adopt and promote among themselves.”

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 161-165.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Declaration of Principles of Journalism Education

WJEC Declaration of Principles of Journalism Education

Declaration of Principles of Journalism Education
World Journalism Education Congress
Singapore, June 2007

We, the undersigned representatives of professional journalism education associations share a concern and common understanding about the nature, role, importance, and future of journalism education worldwide. We are unanimous that journalism education provides the foundation as theory, research, and training for the effective and responsible practice of journalism. Journalism education is defined in different ways. At the core is the study of all types of journalism.

Journalism should serve the public in many important ways, but it can only do so if its practitioners have mastered an increasingly complex body of knowledge and specialized skills. Above all, to be a responsible journalist must involve an informed ethical commitment to the public. This commitment must include an understanding of and deep appreciation for the role that journalism plays in the formation, enhancement and perpetuation of an informed society.

We are pledged to work together to strengthen journalism education and increase its value to students, employers and the public. In doing this we are guided by the following principles:

1. At the heart of journalism education is a balance of conceptual, philosophical and skills-based content. While it is also interdisciplinary, journalism education is an academic field in its own right with a distinctive body of knowledge and theory.

2. Journalism is a field appropriate for university study from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. Journalism programs offer a full range of academic degrees including bachelors, masters and Doctor of Philosophy degrees as well as certificate, specialized and mid-career training.

3. Journalism educators should be a blend of academics and practitioners; it is important that educators have experience working as journalists.

4. Journalism curriculum includes a variety of skills courses and the study of journalism ethics, history, media structures/institutions at national and international level, critical analysis of media content and journalism as a profession. It includes coursework on the social, political and cultural role of media in society and sometimes includes coursework dealing with media management and economics. In some countries, journalism education includes allied fields like public relations, advertising, and broadcast production.

5. Journalism educators have an important outreach mission to promote media literacy among the public generally and within their academic institutions specifically.

6. Journalism program graduates should be prepared to work as highly informed, strongly committed practitioners who have high ethical principles and are able to fulfill the public interest obligations that are central to their work.

7. Most undergraduate and many masters programs in journalism have a strong vocational orientation. In these programs experiential learning, provided by classroom laboratories and on-the-job internships, is a key component.

8. Journalism educators should maintain strong links to media industries. They should critically reflect on industry practices and offer advice to industry based on this reflection.

9. Journalism is a technologically intensive field. Practitioners will need to master a variety of computer-based tools. Where practical, journalism education provides an orientation to these tools.

10. Journalism is a global endeavor; journalism students should learn that despite political and cultural differences, they share important values and professional goals with peers in other nations. Where practical, journalism education provides students with first-hand experience of the way that journalism is practiced in other nations.

11. Journalism educators have an obligation to collaborate with colleagues worldwide to provide assistance and support so that journalism education can gain strength as an academic discipline and play a more effective role in helping journalism to reach its full potential.

from http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/wjec_declaration_of_princ.html

Principles and Premises on the Press

PRINCIPLES AND PREMISES ON THE PRESS (1991)

RESPONDING TO A PERCEIVE NEED for explicit unities on the most basic of points concerning the mass media in the Philippines, the following are basic points proposed as an integrated premise for views, discussions and resolutions on the media’s fundamental role in democratic society, and its corollaries in terms of media accountability, ethics, freedom, economics, external and internal interrelationships, professionalism and skills development.

1) Sovereignty resides in the people, and all public authority emanates from them; public service is a public trust, and public accountability should be upheld at all times.

2) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (1966), as well as the Constitution of the Philippines, guarantee to every citizen the right to be informed accurately and adequately about all matters of public consequence and the right to freedom of speech, of expression and of the press; these rights should be enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of social standing, gender, ethnic stock, religious and philosophical beliefs, culture, political affiliation and geographical location within the Philippine archipelago, and inequities on this should be opposed, diminished and eliminated. These rights of individual citizens should be enjoyed collectively by the citizenry, they being the sovereign body politic.

3) Processes entailed in social, political, economic, spiritual and cultural development of the Philippines require the full approval by, and active mobilization of, the citizenry to whose collective benefit such processes should primarily redound.

4) Adequate communication should flow between the people and their government, among groups of people and among individual citizens, in order to forge and certify the people’s sovereign and democratic will on general and specific policy matters, and in order to make possible their mobilization and synergism.

5) The mass media should primarily be a public service institution existing to serve fully these basic rights of the citizenry. The mass media can and does also exist as an industry, with both the owners and their personnel seeking to derive income from their operations, but quality and magnitude of public service should be the paramount standard of performance of media establishments and mediapersons to deserve any form of support from the public. Entertainment is a legitimate component of media content but this should not be allowed to overshadow, much less to contradict, the media’s public affairs functions.

6) In democratic society, facilities of mass communications are generally accessible for use by individual citizens, groups of citizens and the public, in order to guarantee and realize the full enjoyment of the people’s right to know and their right to be heard. Owners and personnel of these mass communication facilities should always be imbued with the spirit of giving paramount priority to public service, pushing them to upgrade capabilities and to exert maximum efforts to seek out the information the people have the right to know and the views the people have the right to express and disseminate these to the broad citizenry.

7) Basic editorial standards for public relevance valuation, plausibility and source reliability should be the only criteria guiding decision-making in the pursuit and treatment of news and information, including opinions, thus differentiating legitimate editorial judgments from censorship and self-censorship.

8) Whenever any media establishment is externally coerced and prevented from serving fully the people’s right to be informed and their right to be heard and heeded, there is press freedom repression; whenever any media establishment upon its own volition shortchanges the public for any reason on these basic rights or refuses to assert these rights, there is unethical media practice. This applies also to the freedom and ethics of individual journalists. The decisive element is the quality of output, although the matter of increasing or maintaining remuneration, like payola envelopes and advertising contracts, from vested interests, including news sources, is acknowledged as a major contributory factor for unethical media practices. Also responsible for unethical practices are media owners who do not adequately uphold the right of their personnel to job security, fair compensation, humane working conditions, self-organization and collective action, and opportunities for skills upgrading and career advancement.

9) Problems involving press freedom and media ethics can be effectively addressed by mediapersons only through a concerted, multilateral effort that encourages the broadest base of varying forms and levels of participation, coupled with developing and enlisting the active participation of the broad citizenry.

10) Maximum efforts should be exerted by the media community and the citizenry to optimize the role of the mass media in making the force of logic prevail over the logic of force. Justifications for the latter, like impediments to freedom of information and expression, and obstacles to justice, and violations of public trust and accountablity, should be denounced, opposed and eliminated by mediapersons shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the citizenry. In this context, the non-combatant status of journalists, like all other civilians, should be safeguarded and recognized by all, and its guarantee should be recognized and asserted as part of the functions of basic govrnance.

UPON A STRONG UNITY on these points, agreements on more specific points may be forged, and various specific projects and activities may be encouraged, launched, coordinated, publicized, evaluated and carried forward.

Originally titled “Proposed Integrated View on Media Freedom, Ethics and Unity,” this was first presented as a draft by Ed Aurelio Reyes, secretary general of the Philippine Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF), to fellow participants in the “Conference on the Role of the Media in Democratization and People’s Participation” at the Development Academy of the Philippines, Tagaytay City, on May 31 - June 1, 1991. Copies of this document were sent to various opinion leaders in the media community and presented to the House Committee on Public Information, before its publication in the PMPF’s Press Freedom Advocate. This has also been ratified by the Fifth National Convention for Press Freedom of August 31, 1991 after being adopted and endorsed earlier that month by the Second National Congress of the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Founding Meeting of the Press Freedom Alliance of Southrn Tagalog (PRESSFAST).

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 166-168.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

PFA Principles on Reporting Ethnic Tensions

Press Foundation of Asia Principles on Reporting Ethnic Tensions

Reporting Ethnic Tensions

(From IPC: The principles below evolved out of a nine-nations journalism conference conducted by the Press Foundation of Asia in Davao City (Philippines) in April 1970).

1. Factual accuracy in a single story is no substitute for the total truth. A single story which is factually accurate can nonetheless be misleading.

2. Prejudice may sell newspapers but newspapers should resist the temptation to exploit human fears for commercial gains.

3. In mixed societies, editors should be aware of the danger of feeding by selective reporting, common prejudicial stereotypes about groups. Generalisations based on the behaviour of an individual or a small number of individuals are invariably unjust.

4. When there is potential for communal tension, there should be a constant effort to investigate and expose the underlying causes.

5. Statistics can be used to excite passion. It should always be checked and interpreted.

6. All stories of communal, racial or religious nature should be scrupulously ascribed to their source. The authority of the source should be properly evaluated.

7. Advertisements of an unfair discriminating nature should not be accepted.

8. Editors have a responsibility for the tone and truth of the letters' column.

9. Harm can be done by distortion in translation, especially in areas where several languages are spoken. Words and phrases may have different connotations among different groups.

10. It should be recognised that editorial comment, however benign, does not necessarily compensate for the harm done by a misleading news report.

11. Journalists should always use cool and moderate language, especially in headlines and also in display. No concession should be made to rhetoric. Lurid and gory details and emotive reference to past history should be avoided.

12. In mixed societies where extra-territorial loyalties are often alleged and are a cause of tension, great care should be taken about stories imputing interference by a foreign power unless it is clearly established.

13. The traditional newspaper standards of checking for accuracy should be applied with even greater rigour in any stories involving racial, religious or communal groups. Statements should not be accepted at face value from any source, including official ones, and where necessary, these should be accompanied in the news columns by corroboration and interpretation.

14. Unverified rumour is not the proper content of news columns especially when there is great danger in speculation about violence.

15. When there is violence, particular care should be taken about publication of the first incidents.

16. Every effort should be made to portray ethnic groups in other than conflict situations.

17. When violence has broken out, the role of government in the supply of information is crucial. There must be a continuous supply of information from this source to prevent rumour, speculation and needless panic. In these circumstances, a close working relationship between the Press and the Government is essential and there should be no division of interest.

18. Casualty figures can cause chain reactions, and experience has shown that official figures may be under or over estimated.

19. Pictures can distort reality. An unrepresentative picture may lie even more than a news story and add to prejudices.

20. Journalists, particularly foreign correspondents, should not report crises without a sufficient understanding of the background of events and trends.

21. In newspaper groups publishing in different languages, care should be taken that they speak with the same voice on explosive issues and in times of tension. The cumulative effect of differing coverage and opinion is deadly.

22. In mixed societies with underlying causes of tension - social, economic or religious - newspapers and the broadcast media should initiate investigative and interpretative stories with sociological content. These would spread understanding and also help disperse an environment of resentment and suspicion which can turn a minor incident into a riot.

Source: Independent Press Councils

Save the Media Worker

SAVE THE MEDIA WORKER (1989)

1) Work for the media worker’s job security; secure and assert reasonable agreements with media owners on criteria and due process concerning separations;

2) Assert the media worker’s right to self-organization, specifically to form their own strong unions and associations;

3) Stop the killing of journalists and extend assistance to the respective families of our fallen colleagues; and

4) Put an end to the unreasonable press restrictions and stop the harassment of mediapersons.

These four calls / demands were issued by the five-organization Task Force to Save the Media Worker which was formed in March 1989. The campaign for these culminated in a Symposium on Media Workers Conditions on Labor Day, May 1, 1989. Signatories: Ricardo C. Valmonte, President of the Philippine Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF); Antonio Ma. Nieva, Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP); Marcelo S. Lagmay, president of the National Press Club (NPC); Joel Paredes, chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa Media ng Pilipinas (KAMMPI) and Arturo Subido, president of the Press Photographers of the Philippines (PPP). The campaign was precipitated by mass layoffs from two newspapers.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 174.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Deklarasyon para sa Pamamahayag sa Sariling Wika

DEKLARASYON PARA SA PAMAMAHAYAG SA SARILING WIKA (1989)

TAIMTIM KAMING NANININDIGAN na ang pagpapahalaga ng mamamayang Pilipino sa sariling wika ay bahagi ng pagtataguyod at paggigiit sa kanilang pambansang dignidad at kasarinlan, at ang kanilang wika ay dapat papaglingkurin sa ganitong dignidad at kasarinlan.

MAHIGPIT ANG AMING PANINIWALA na ang mmga mamamahayag ay gumaganap ng napakahalagang papel sa pagpapaunlad at pagtataguyod sa paggamit ng sariling wika tungo sa antas ng pagkilala at paggalang na kailangan nitong makamit sa ating lipunang pinaghaharian ng wikang dayuhan at nakapailalim sa iba pang anyo ng dominasyong banyaga.

MARUBDOB ANG AMING PAGKILALA sa pananagutan ng pamahayagan, sa diwa ng demokrasya, na bigyang-daluyan ang mga mithiin, karaingan at mungkahi ng karaniwang mga mamamayan sa paraang pinakamalapit sa kanilang damdamin at kaisipan, at sila’y paalaman ukol sa lahat ng karapatan nilang malaman sa wikang pinakamadali nilang maunawaan.

SAMAKATWID, kaming mga mamamahayag sa sariling wika ay mahigpit na nagkakaisang itatag ang isang samahang magtataguyod sa ipinahayag naming mga paninindigan, paniniwala at pananagutan.

This declaration was signed by about 50 journalists in the vernacular (from Metro Manila and the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales and Bataan) towards the formation of the Bukluran ng mga Mamamahayag sa Sariling Wika on February 17, 1990. It is enshrined as the preamble of the BUKLURAN’s constitution. The founding officers of the organization were Rolando Fadul, president; Ben Esquivel, Deo Macalma and Ed Aurelio Reyes, vice-presidents; Doming Mirasol, secretary-general; Edna Constancia, treasurer; and Ninoy Sofranes, auditor.

Sanggunian: Ang aklat na “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” ni Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 175.

Tinipa sa computer at ipinamamahagi ni: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Communicator's Commitment to Help Rescue Environment

COMMUNICATORS’ COMMITMENT TO HELP RESCUE THE ENVIRONMENT (1990)

WE ARE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED, as organizations of communicators, and as individual journalists and artists, over the present conditions and accelerating further deterioration of the environment of our country and of our planet, and are aware that widespread ignorance and indifference are factors that abet this alarming situation.

WE SHARE with our fellow advocates of environmental protection in the Philippines the conviction that the only effective way to rescue the environment, beyond lip-service and token measures, requires the promotion of the following:

a. The unique cultural identity and ethnic heritage of the Filipinos and their spiritual and ecological solidarity with other peoples of the planet.

b. Social equity and justice in the sharing of benefits and custodianship of natural resources, such as land, water, forest, aquatic and mineral resources and through the democratization of access to technology and financial resources.

c. Ecologically sound economic activities whose primary beneficiaries are poor families and communities which comprise the majority of Filipinos.

d. Empowerment of people in communities through more concentration on food, health and ecological security, full implementation of the state policy giving the citizens free access to information and consideration of these means of empowerment as prerequisites for authentic participation in self-government and social transformation.

WE RECOGNIZE the stake and responsibility of communicators both as citizens and as purveyors of information and opinion, and we pledge to coordinate and optimize our efforts in helping rescue the environment through the education and mobilization of our people. We are aware that we have to organize our efforts in order to effectively counteract well-funded public-relations and disinformation campaigns mounted by vested interests that have been instrumental in environmental destruction.

WE THEREFORE PLEDGE to mount a sustained and organized consciousness campaign among communicators and, moreso, among the rest of the citizenry, to be active in helping rescue the environment, and we sign our names under this declaration of our collective and individual commitment, for the sake of our country’s survival.

This was adopted by the organizing committee of the Communicator’s League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) on January 2, 1990 as the basis of unity of all member-organizations and individual members of CLEAR. The CLEAR organizers became the advocacy network’s first set of officers: Vic Milan, president; Violeta Len Jos, executive vice-president; Ed Aurelio Reyes, secretary general; Butch Nava, deputy secretary general; Yasmin Arquiza, treasurer; and Romy Tangbawan, auditor. CLEAR member organizations include the National Press Club (NPC), Philippine Environmental Journalists Inc. (PEJI), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), and the Philippine Union of Broadcasters (PUB). CLEAR has a mutual membership relation with the Philippine Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF).

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 176-177.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

The Principled Journalist

THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST (1991)

1. THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST IS AN HONORABLE CITIZEN who asserts and fully enjoys the rights of citizens and exercise the duties and responsibilities of citizens and who should not abdicate them in the illusory framework of “media neutrality”. Journalists like other Filipino citizens have the duty to assert Philippine sovereignty and the socio-economic and political interests of the democratic majority of the people, link up closely with other organizations of citizens, and avail themselves of rights of the rights of the citizens to form associations for purposes not contrary to law and to peaceably assemble for the redress of grievances. Principled journalists, as all honorable citizens, deserve the respect of the bigger community, and keep away from decadent and anti-social behavior.

2. THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST IS A PUBLIC SERVANT in the context of the media’s functions to serve the people’s right to know and the people’s right to express their grievances, demands and opinions, in a situation where the media are being used today more by vested interests to keep the public uninformed about or distracted from the most important truths affecting them. Principled journalists would never allow themselves to be used as mercenaries.

3. THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST IS A PROFESSIONAL who values the question of ethics, the urge and actual efforts for skills upgrading and career development, and “does homework” for quality stories that adequately serve the people’s right to know and the people’s right to express their grievances, demands and opinions.

4. THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST IS A WORKER, and struggles for collective job security, fair compensation, just and humane working conditions, the right to form strong and genuine trade union organizations, the right to bargain collectively and to strike if necessary. Principled journalists take the stand of the working press.

5. THE PRINCIPLED JOURNALIST IS A LEADER, on two levels: (a) public opinion leadership for nationalism, humanism and democracy; and (b) activity in organizations of mediapersons as leaders or dependable members, as distinguished from journalists who are absolutely constricted in day-to-day requirements of the occupation as set by their superiors, and who help the media people’s organizations on one-shot, case-to-case or sympathy levels.

This 5-point description was first presented by Ed Aurelio Reyes, secretary general of the Philippine Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF), in a message to the 2nd Congress of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) held in August 1991. The NUJP Congress unanimously passed a resolution adopting these points as the organization’s criteria and standard of behavior for its members. As endorsed by NUJP, the PMPF-sponsored Fifth National Convention for Press Freedom adopted it and resolved to campaign for its acceptance by the broader Philippine media community.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 170-171

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Editor's Commitment to the People's Right to Know

EDITOR’S COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW (1988)

WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES in our capacity as editors of print and broadcast facilities to reaffirm our advocacy of the universal human right to freedom of the press. It is a freedom that encompasses the people’s right to inform and to be informed, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

WE FULLY SUBSCRIBE to the third and fourth paragraphs of the 1987 Philippine Declaration for Press Freedom, which state that this freedom is “the people’s right to unhampered reportage and to channels of information and opinion…” and that this freedom “is more than the right to express approval of prevailing political structures and dominant political beliefs and policies, for the right belongs as well, if not more, to those who question, who differ, who oppose.”

UPHOLDING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE is both a crucial requisite to the building of a working democracy as well as a deterrent to the restoration of authoritarian rule. We therefore commit ourselves, individually and collectively, to give adequate space, time and prominence to matters of urgent public concern such as: (a) persisting or even officially-tolerated health and environmental hazards; (b) economic conditions and policies relevant to the broad populace; (c) official policies and acts of commission or omission by government that adversely affect substantial segments of the citizenry; and (d) responses to these matters from private citizens or group of citizens.

WE RESOLVE TO DO SO and consider it our contribution to human rights advocacy in this part of the world, for the sake of the Filipino people whose interests we seek to cherish and to serve.

This text was penned in December 1987 by the now deceased Alfredo Navarro Salanga, first chairman of the PMPF Task Force for the People’s Right to Know, and signed by the 71 editors of eight dailies and six other publications in Metro Manila. It was formally presented at the PMPF-sponsored Round Table Conference on the Media and the People’s Right to Know held on August 6, 1988 as one of pre-conferences that culminated at the Second National Convention for Press Freedom held at the end of that month. The commitment was signed by senior and junior editors of Ang Pilipino Ngayon, Balita, Bulletin, Chronicle, Inquirer, Malaya, Manila Standard, and Manila Times, as well as those of Philippine Agenda, Dispatch, Philippine News & Features, Filipino Journalist, We Forum / Masa, and Press Freedom Advocate. It is both an individual commitment and a collective commitment, the latter providing the basis for the formation of an organization of editors along the lines of this advocacy.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 172-173

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Basic Rights of Mediapersons

BASIC RIGHTS OF MEDIAPERSONS (1988)

1. THE RIGHT TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION – On all matters of public concern, the right to access to information actually belongs to each individual citizen. But with media as a valuable source of information, mediapersons actually represents the people’s right to know. Media practitioners, therefore, should not be restricted in their task of acquiring information – be it in the form of documents, interviews or photos – on matters of public concern, including those that may tend to embarrass the powers that be. During the Marcos dictatorship, the interest of “national security” was invoked to keep secrets from the citizenry.

2. THE RIGHT TO PUBLISH OR BROADCAST INFORMATION AND OPINIONS – Freedom of expression, of speech and of the press are recognized as basic and inalienable rights not only by the Philippine Constitution but by no less than the 1948 universal declaration of human rights. Like the right to seek information. This belongs to every citizen; but due to media’s role in society, media establishments must assert and safeguard this right. There are enough laws to check irresponsibility and wanton disregard for the rights of others; prior restraint – meaning, censorship – can only be legally justified during emergencies formally declared according to the “clear and present danger” doctrine. In the broadcast industry, the principle that “the airlines belong to people” has often been used to reverse its very spirit making it extremely difficult for ordinary “owners of the airlines” to use broadcast facilities to air grievances or demands that may be construed as “destabilizing”. The right of the state to protect itself has also been corrupted to refer to the right of the incumbent administrators to defend themselves against criticism.

3. THE RIGHT TO JOB SECURITY, FAIR COMPENSATION, SELF-ORGANIZATION AND RELATED INTERESTS – Paragraph five of the “Philippine Declaration for Press Freedom” reads: “We believe that press freedom necessarily encompasses the right of professionals and workers in the mass media to job security, fair compensation, just and humane working conditions and self-organization, as well as the right of media establishments to be protected against undue sanctions from sources of revenue.” These economic rights belong to all working people. Problems of management, of the rationality of the size of the industry, and the present shape of the economy as a whole, are all important factors that affect the enjoyment of these rights, but the locus of responsibility should be pinpointed in every case, and the rank and file must not be made to suffer the bigger weight of the economic problems.

4. THE RIGHT TO BE PROTECTED AGAINST UNDUE RETRIBUTION – Media people are not exactly the most well-loved, especially among reluctant informants that get embarrassed or get in hot water due to media reportage and commentary. Mediapersons therefore need protection while in actual coverage and after their output has reached the public. We had have to contend with death threats and actual bullets, million-peso libel suits designed merely to harass and intimidate, sudden dismissals after aggrieved parties talk with management, and other forms of retribution. The hazards are graver during periods of civil strife, especially if some mediapersons are drawn into the struggle as combatants.

5. THE RIGHT TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT – All employees, professionals and workers should have opportunities to improve on their individual capabilities in order to afford them advancement in their respective stations in the industry, thus improving their lot and increasing their sense of fulfillment.

THESE ARE THE RIGHTS OF MEDIAPERSONS. To discuss them in detail and to illustrate the rampant cases of their violation would need the length of a book. But we hope this brief representation would be of help to our media colleagues to start off discussions among themselves and with groups and entities that affect their work (employers, sources, etc.) The People’s (Philippine) Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF) is committed to help promote and assert their rights, and we are eager to cooperate and coordinate with other media-based organizations in the pursuit of this commitment.

This was first presented at a multilateral workshop conference held during the National Press Week of 1988, attended by representatives from the PMPF, National Press Club, Philippine Press Institute (PPI), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa Media sa Pilipinas (KAMMPI), Press Foundation of Asia (PFA), Photojournalists Guild of the Philippines (PhotoGuild) and the provisional (organizing) committee of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). It was published in Press Freedom Advocate “Clipboard” No. 10 (May 10, 1988), from which it was also clipped to be posted in newspapers and radio station booths in various parts of the country.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 179-181.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Philippine Declaration for Press Freedom

PHILIPPINE DECLARATION FOR PRESS FREEDOM (1987)

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM is an inalienable birthright of the people which no one can take away without violating a basic human right, and we hold that while facts are inviolable, expression of opinions should be free.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM is the foundation and guardian of a strong and enlightened public opinion without which democracy cannot be possible, and that the guarantee of this freedom is among the best deterrents to authoritarian governments.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM is more than the right to express approval of prevailing political structures and dominant political beliefs and policies, for the right belongs as well, if not more, to those who question, who differ, who oppose.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM is the right of the people to inform and be informed, the people’s right to unhampered reportage and to access to channels of information and opinion, and that this guarantees the people’s right to utilize government-operated media facilities.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM necessarily encompasses the right of professionals and workers in the mass media to job security, fair compensation, just and humane working conditions and self-organization, as well as the right of media establishments to be protected against undue sanctions from sources of revenue.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRESS FREEDOM and the broader right to freedom of expression concern not only professional, businessmen and workers in the mass media but the people as a whole, and that vigilance for the defense of these freedoms should therefore be a recognized responsibility of the entire body politic.

WE BELIEVE IN PRESS FREEDOM, and we declare our conviction to uphold it. We therefore unite to establish and continue to strengthen a movement for press freedom as an active and effective channel for solidarity and coordination among media people and other citizens in promoting, asserting and defending this basic and inalienable right.

This document was drafted in January 1987 by the organizing committee of the People’s (now Philippine) Movement for Press Freedom and first adopted by the First National Convention for Press Freedom in April 1987. This Declaration has more than 700 individual signatories among Metro Manila and provincial mediapersons by September 1987. Signatories to this Declaration include the National Press Club (by an Annual Convention resolution of May 1990) and all-member organizations of the PMPF (52 as of July 1992) which has this Declaration as the preamble of its constitution.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 160-161

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Philippine Journalist's Code of Ethics

PHILIPPINE JOURNALIST’S CODE OF ETHICS (1988)

I. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and to correct substantive errors promptly.

II. I shall not violate confidential information on material given me in the exercise of my calling.

III. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news, photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended for publication.

IV. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private reputation unless the public interest justifies it. At the same time, I shall fight vigorously for public access to information, as provided for in the Constitution.

V. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my personal integrity.

VI. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.

VII. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and ethnic origin.

VIII. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society.

IX. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist.

X. I shall accept only as tasks as are compatible with the integrity and dignity of my profession, invoking the “conscience clause” when duties imposed on me conflict with the voice of my conscience.

XI. I shall conduct myself in public or while performing my duties as a journalist in such manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt, decency should be my watchword.

This document was drafted by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), discussed and finalized in a multilateral workshop conference held during the National Press Week of 1988. The conference was attended by representatives from the PPI, National Press Club, Philippine Movement for Press Freedom (PMPF), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (provisional committee), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa Media sa Pilipinas, Press Foundation of Asia, and Photojournalists Guild of the Philippines. It has been adopted by these and other media organizations, and has been translated into Filipino by the Bukluran ng mga Mamamahayag sa Sariling Wika (BUKLURAN), a PMPF member-organization.

Source: The book “Press Freedom: The People’s Right” by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, pp. 169-170.

Retyped for information campaign by: Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.