Press Council Research Articles

Ethical and Legal Model of the Cybermedia: Case Study in North Sumatra, Indonesia

In the new media era, most violations cases of press ethics and law are made by cybermedia in Indonesia. At the same time, cybermedia is one of the factors driving national stability, as well as a factor encouraging democratization. This study aimed to determine the ethical and legal model indicators of cybermedia from the Indonesia Cybermedia Union (SMSI) of North Sumatra case study. The research is a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Data were collected from interviews with 39 journalists through questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGD) with two press experts, two North Sumatra SMSI administrators and an honorary board member of the press organization. The results of this study indicated that five problems were indicators of models for implementing press ethics and law in cybermedia. First, increasing the competence of journalists in several ways, such as encouraging journalists to take the journalist competency tests and conducting training; second, encouraging cybermedia verification by the Press Council; third, providing legal assistance for journalists who were caught in the law; fourth, following the existing rules of press ethics and law. This was done because cybermedia did not have its own rules of ethics and press law; fifth, conducting an interaction model with stakeholders through journalist competency test activities.

Analysis of Dispute over Authority to Conduct Journalist Competency Tests Following Constitutional Court’s Decision No. 38/PUU/XIX/2021

This study discusses a dispute between the Press Council (DP) and the National Board for Profession Certification (BNSP) over the authority to conduct journalist competency tests (UKW) using Hans Kelsen’s and Hans Kaviasky’s Theory of Hierarchy of Law. This research was conducted through a qualitative approach using a normative judicial method in analyzing the Constitutional Court’s Decision No.38/PPU-XIX/2021 concerning the authority to conduct journalist competency tests. Secondary data of this research was obtained through literature and document studies. This research found that there has been no final clarification on the settlement of the legal dispute between DP and BNSP over the authority to conduct journalist competency tests following the Constitutional Court’s Decision No. 38/PPU-XIX/2021 rejecting in full the applicants’ plea. The legal implication of the decision is that both DP and BNSP can continue to conduct journalist competency tests respectively.

Port Harcourt residents’ response to NPC’s campaign against inaccurate and malicious news publications

In its effort to ensure that media contents are not slanted to misinform the public, the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) leaves a window for members of the public to lodge complaints about perceived inaccuracies and malicious publications with the Council for proper investigation and action. Notwithstanding this window, which also offers the public an opportunity to entrench responsible journalism, it appears that many Nigerian citizens do not take advantage of the directive. This study investigated Port Harcourt residents’ response to NPC’s directive against inaccurate and malicious news reports. Among other objectives, the study investigated Port Harcourt residents’ response to the directive. The critical political-economy theory provided theoretical cornerstone to the study. Using the survey research design, a sample size of 384 respondents was drawn from a population of 205,507. Findings of the study showed that many residents of Port Harcourt had observed inaccurate and malicious news reports but failed to report to the NPC due to fear of being victimized. The study recommended, among other measures, that NPC should assure Nigerian citizens that complaints arising from perceived inaccurate news publications would be treated as confidential.

African Moral Theory and Media Ethics: An Exploration of Rulings by the South African Press Council 2018 to 2022

ABSTRACT In light of a history of an unethical news media system used by the state as an instrument of oppression, media ethics in South Africa is intended to uphold the foundational tenets of journalism and play a pivotal role in addressing issues of diversity, equity, and social justice. Most recently, the 2021 Inquiry into Media Ethics and Credibility report instructed media watchdogs, such as the South African Press Council, to track data concerning ethical breaches based on the potential that such data can contribute to transparency and accountability. This study examines the trends in ethical issues raised in rulings by the South African Press Council (PCSA) over the period 2018–2022. Our analysis found that most of the South African news media publications registered with PCSA have a good track record when it comes to upholding ethical standards. However, a few publications have a disproportionate share of the complaints against them.

IJCM_317A: The quality of news reports on violence against health workers in India

Background: The Indian Medical Association report from 2015 states that around 75% of doctors had faced violence at the workplace. One of the major contributory factors to such assaults is the public conscience against healthcare workers. An improper understanding of the purpose and functions of emergency care and outpatient facilities also adds to the bitterness. The media, especially online has a great influence over them. Inadequate, unscientific, and very often emotional reporting of medical news will not help the frontline workers in peaceful and resource-effective productivity. Objective: To examine the quality of reporting of news articles on violence against health workers in India. Methodology: A cross-sectional study to examine the quality of news articles on violence against healthcare workers published online in the past three years based on the guidelines from the Independent Press Standards Organisation, UK and Press Council of India’s Norms 2022. Articles in English, Hindi, and other regional languages that the authors had expertise in were selected. The data was collected using Google Forms and analysed in Google Sheets. Results: The majority of the articles did not mention the illness and medical management done, while the chronology of the violent incidents was adequately mentioned. Almost 50% of the articles did not mention any witness interviews. One-third of the articles did not mention the date of incidence. One-fourth of the articles, mostly regional language articles used clickbait keywords in the articles. Most of the articles did not give any follow-up reports on the news. Conclusion: There is a huge gap in adequate and unbiased reporting on the incidents of violence against healthcare workers among the online media.

IJCM_54A: Medical curriculum and published literature with focus on usage of appropriate LGBTQIA+ language: A situational analysis

Background: A sensitive language usage is important in scientific literature when reporting “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other identities” (LGBTQIA+) and medical education can play an important role towards early sensitization of future professionals. Objective: To evaluate the competency based undergraduate curriculum (CBME) guidelines by National Medical Council and to conduct a content analysis of published medical education articles related to LGBTQIA+. Methodology: We reviewed the CBME guidelines for competencies pertaining to sensitization of medical students regarding LGBTQIA+. For content analysis, we searched PubMed using the MeSH terms “”Sexual and Gender Minorities”” AND “”Education, Medical”, restricting our search to English language. The Press Council of India (PCI) guidelines were used as reference for preferred and non-preferred terms. Results: At present, NMC has not brought about any teaching modules or sensitization on LGBTQIA+ for the undergraduate curriculum. However, the related competencies were psychosexual and gender identity disorders in Psychiatry (PS 13.1-13.7) and gender issues and women empowerment in community medicine (CM 10.9). A total of 177 articles were retrieved from PubMed. We selected 30 relevant articles, of which12 (40%) were from India. Majority of them (94%) complied to the PCI guidelines on LGBTQIA+, with respect to terms such as ‘transgender’, ‘transman’, ‘transwoman’ and ‘LGBTQ’. One Indian article used the term ‘transgenders. There was no usage of derogatory terms such as ‘eunuch’ and ‘victims’. Terms such as ‘Gender Non-conforming’ and ‘Gender affirming surgery’ were used in some surgery articles (6%) with no use of avoidable terms like ‘sex change surgery’ and ‘sex reassignment surgery’. Conclusion: The CBME needs to add specific LGBTQIA+ related competencies in the curriculum. The language in the medical education articles reviewed largely conformed with the PCI guidelines on LGBTQIA+ reporting with a fair, respectful, and informative coverage.

Media Advocacy on the Struggle for Rights of Women with Disabilities: A Case Study of Drg Romi

This study aims to illustrate the struggle for the rights of women with disabilities in West Sumatra, Indonesia. In 2019, Drg Romi, a disabled female dentist, was targeted in a campaign attempting to cancel their standing as a civil servant. Data in the form of words, phrases, and sentences concerning Drg Romi in 2019 were gleaned from three West Sumatra newspapers (Haluan, Padang Ekspres, & Singgalang), which represented the total available printed media and passed the Press Council verification in West Sumatra. The data is in the form of information regarding the news production process, which was taken from the editorial leader of each newspaper. Data were collected by using observation, documentation, and interview techniques. Data analysis was conducted using qualitative techniques referred to as the extra lingual material method. The data was analyzed by writing memos during the research, coding the data, looking for themes and categories, discussing the data, and drawing conclusions. The results show that Drg Romi is positioned as both a subject and an object in the news sources. In both positions, the media managed to favorably position Drg Romi in a manner that benefited them and advocated for their fight for rights as a disabled woman. Keywords: Media advocacy, women's disabilities, struggle for rights, Drg Romi, Indonesia.

KEBIJAKAN PROGRAM UJI KOMPETENSI DALAM MENINGKATKAN PROFESIONALISME WARTAWAN DI KOTA SUKABUMI

The Journalist Competency Test Program carried out by the Press Council is one way to increase the professionalism of journalists. This is in line with Press Council Regulation No. 1 of 2010 concerning journalist competency standards which states that only journalists can take the journalist competency test (UKW), which aims to uphold press freedom based on the public interest, as well as to maintain the honor and dignity of journalism as a profession of intellectual work, as well as avoiding misuse of the journalist profession through journalist competency tests. Based on research on the behavior of journalists in the city of Sukabumi, it shows that many people claim to be journalists but do not demonstrate journalist standards, which is detrimental to various parties and detrimental to the journalist profession which is tarnished by the actions of fake journalists. A journalist competency test is very necessary to show that journalists can actually show a competency card after carrying out a journalist competency test so that ultimately the public can assess which journalists meet journalist standards or which do not. The need for a journalist competency test is in line with the statement of expert Muhamad Nuh (former Minister of Education and Culture and Chairman of the Press Council), that the Journalist Competency Test (UKW) is a requirement to improve quality in the press world.

The Local Press and the BBC

AbstractThe decline in local newspapers is leading to a local news ‘desert’, where there is little or no coverage of important local issues like policing, court cases and council politics. At present, the BBC attempts to fill some of the gap by paying for ‘local democracy reporters’ who work for private local media companies, but this creates tensions and is not a sustainable solution. This article argues that granting small local media organisations charitable status, as in the United States, would also be problematic. Instead, it advocates an independent ‘Local Press Council’.

The Ethical Experience of Online Journalists in Avoiding Trial by the Press

Trial by the press is an ethically prohibited practice in journalism activities in Indonesia. However, it still occurs in various online media, meaning that there is something wrong with the ethical actions of online media journalists. This research aims to reveal the ethical experiences of online media journalists in avoiding trial by the press. This research method uses a phenomenological approach by conducting interviews with five online media journalists and a literature study of regulatory trials by the press in Indonesia. The results show that trial by the press has been institutionally regulated to be avoided by journalists, especially in Law 40/1999, Journalistic Code of Ethics from the Press Council, PWI, and AJI. However, journalistic ethical principles in institutional regulations are no longer compatible with the working mechanisms of online media, thus creating a dilemma for online media journalists to choose between the two. However, online media journalists do not view institutional regulations and online media working mechanisms as dualism in the practice of online journalism. Their experience in elaborating institutional regulations and online media working mechanisms can minimize the occurrence of trials by the press. We concluded that contextual and situational elaboration of institutional regulations and working mechanisms of online media can produce an authentic meaning for journalists to avoid trial by the press in online media.

Public Interest Law in Criminal Code Article 310(3) as the Basis to Eliminate Crime in Journalism

In the Republic of Indonesia, legal norms and rules prioritize the public interest over state, group, and individual interests. Article 310 paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code allows for the removal of offenses committed in the public interest. However, using the public interest as a justification for press activities can lead to controversy due to unreliable or false news sources. Law No. 40 of 1999 concerning the Press, and the Press Council, an independent regulatory body established in 1966, protect press freedom and regulate the press according to the Journalistic Code of Ethics. However, due to perceived inadequacies, press violations are often resolved through press releases rather than relying on the Code as a legal basis. A normative legal research method was used to analyze the relationship between the Criminal Code and the Press Law, revealing that press freedom is a fundamental human right protected by the Constitution. The Press Law functions as a Lex specialis of the Criminal Code, addressing issues such as defamation, insults, and ridicule, and resolving disputes within the press while prioritizing the public interest over government interests.
 Keywords: Public Interest, Freedom of the Press

PERLINDUNGAN HAK EKONOMI TERHADAP LAGU TUHU LA AKU BUAL LAGU YANG DICOVER DALAM CHANEL YOUTUBE

Karo songs are works of art created from the Karo language, literature, as well as music and singers. Each word has a specific meaning to convey to the audience, namely the listener/viewer. Economic rights are understood as the right to obtain profits from the creation of a song. This research is an empirical qualitative method, using empirical data collection and in-depth interpretation. The methods used include in-depth interviews and participant observation, the result is that the economic rights of Karo language songs on YouTube are protected, but many individuals also use other people's works for commercial purposes. The protection given to economic rights can be complained of if the content owner reports violations even though copyright ownership has been registered. This is because economic rights adhere to the complaint offense system. Complaints can be submitted through litigation channels, namely the Commercial Court, and also non-litigation channels, namely to the Press council.

Analyzing the Implementation of Press Council of Pakistan Codes: A Sociological Perspective

Mass media wield significant influence over human social, economic, and cultural realms. The formulation of media laws and ethics aims to regulate the press, with ethical codes playing a crucial role in decision-making. This study focuses on two ethical codes of the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP): unethical reporting and the projection of crime news. Employing quantitative content analysis, the research examines whether Pakistani newspapers adhere to the PCP code of ethics and the extent of unethical reporting. Two prominent Urdu dailies, Jang and Duniya, are analyzed, revealing that Duniya News publishes more news items in line with PCP ethics, while Daily Jang exhibits a higher intensity of unethical reporting, particularly in crime news. This study contributes to understanding ethical considerations in Pakistani media with its practical implementation of societal norms.

Analysis of CyberMedia Ethical Code Violations on Online News Media

The background of this research is a repeatedly ethical code violation by online media in Indonesia. Whereas on June 2020, Press Council warned the media, through a memorandum Number: 01/Seruan-DP/VI/202, to call every media, including online media, to work professionally in the news reporting about public issues. Therefore, the objective of this research was to find out the contributing factors of journalistic ethical code violations. In addition, this research also seeks to formulate solutions to minimize the violations. This research employed a constructive approach with a qualitative method. The data were collected through news observation in the three selected online media over the period of three months and through in-depth interviews with several informants. Several groups of informants are involved in this research, with the managers of the selected online media as primary informants. The secondary informants in this research are supervisory organizations or media observers verified by the Press Council, academicians/experts, and representatives of the Press Council. The research shows that the status of online media organizations influences the repeatedly journalistic ethical code violations. For example, verified online media by Press Council violates the ethical code more repeatedly than unverified online media.

Realizing Justice for Conventional Media in Indonesia through Publisher Rights

Digital platforms are currently posing a threat to conventional media's ability to remain sustainable. According to remarks made by President of the Republic of Indonesia Ir. H. Joko Widodo on February 11, 2023, during his working visit to Medan City in celebration of National Press Day, digital platforms account for 60% of media advertising spending in Indonesia. Regulations are therefore required to safeguard Indonesia's conventional media sector. The Press Council has taken the lead in proposing a Draft Presidential Regulation on the publisher's rights, or the responsibilities of digital platform companies in supporting quality journalism. the current draft law regarding publisher rights law in Indonesia and comparing it to the Canadian and Australian experience in the introduction of similar regulation.

Representasi Pelanggaran Kode Etik Jurnalistik pada Serial Drama Korea HUSH

<p class="Default"><em>The journalistic code of ethics, which is the heart of journalistic products and is a beacon in the world of journalism, is in fact still very vulnerable to being violated. This research aims to determine forms of violation of the journalistic code of ethics, not only based on the Indonesian journalistic code of ethics, but also using the journalistic code of ethics of South Korea, the country where this drama series originates. This research was conducted on the Korean drama series HUSH which aired in 2019 with 16 episodes. The author uses the Indonesian Press Council's journalistic code of ethics and the South Korean Press Code of Ethics to analyze the violations. Apart from that, the causes and consequences of violations of the journalistic code of ethics that occur can also be found. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method with the Pierce model of semiotic approach. The research results showed that: (1) there were 5 cases that showed violations of the journalistic code of ethics. (2) the cause of the violation of the journalistic code of ethics was discovered, namely the existence of a special relationship between the high-ranking officials involved in the case and the leader of the Korean Daily, as well as considering that accepting bribes by people who work in the field of journalism is considered a normal thing.</em><em></em></p>

Directions for improving media standards during the electoral process in Ukraine, taking into account the experience of leading European countries

The article identifies the ways to improve the standards of media work during the electoral process in the context of Ukraine’s European integration and takes into account the experience of leading European countries.
 The influence of the media on the establishment of democracy in Ukraine is especially relevant during the electoral process, so the scientific community needs to develop a unified approach to understanding the standards of media work, including during elections.
 At the level of the European Union, a number of acts have been adopted that are sources of media standards and are applied during the electoral process: The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the Enhanced Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters. In some EU countries, there are self-regulatory bodies, such as the Press Council or the Broadcasting Council, which are responsible for monitoring media compliance with ethical and professional standards.
 At the international and regional levels, there are organizations that participate in the formation of media standards, such as The International Federation of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists. Ukraine is represented in these international organizations by The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine.
 Undoubtedly, Ukraine should continue to take into account international and EU practices in the field of media standards, as well as introduce mechanisms of media self-regulation, in particular, codes of conduct and internal ethics committees, establish an independent ombudsman to mediate between the media and citizens in cases of alleged violations of media standards during the electoral process, and change the procedure for appointing members of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting.

Metaverse Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges for the Media Industry in Indonesia

Metaverse journalism is one of the five formats predicted to become a trend in the future. This was revealed in a survey conducted by Nic Newman in early 2022 to media managers in 52 countries. Even though the presentation is still around 8%, when compared to other formats such as podcasts and digital audio (80%), email newsletters (70%), digital video (63%), voice platform applications (14%), metaverse in the world of journalism deserves attention. Its presence cannot be ignored considering the current condition of society where the majority access information via the internet and social media instead of using conventional media. Coupled with the fact that currently, Indonesia is one of the countries with the most internet and social media users in the world, reaching 212.9 and 167 million users, it is not impossible that this metaverse trend will develop rapidly. For this reason, this study aims to analyze the opportunities and challenges of the metaverse of journalism in Indonesia. The method used in this research is a case study with a qualitative approach. Then data collection was carried out through interviews with informants consisting of the press council, editor-in-chief and journalists. The results of the study show that metaverse journalism does not have the potential to be implemented at this time due to several reasons, namely: there is no universally agreed upon metaverse concept, the technology is still in the development stage, its popularity is being surpassed by AI and currently the audience does not yet exist. Meanwhile, the challenges facing him are the need to increase the capacity of human resources, develop digital infrastructure and formulate standard rules or regulations so that the application of metaverse journalism can have a positive impact.

Assessment of Nigerian journalists’ preparedness for reporting election results and disputes

Electoral process in Africa especially in Nigeria is a long route which often times leads to results being disputed in the courts and sometimes end in crisis. The media play a significant role in this process given their enormous influence on the public. This study examined Nigerian journalists’ preparedness for covering election results and disputes with a focus on the 2023 general elections. Anchored on symbolic interactionism theory, the study adopted survey to gauge the opinions of journalists from the six states of southwest Nigeria which form study population. A structured questionnaire was administered on 300 respondents of 50 per state selected through non-proportional quota sampling. Findings revealed that majority of the journalists are well conscious of their role in reporting election results and disputes and that their respective media organisations prepare them for such duties through training and supply of tools with less provision of funds to facilitate their task on the field. Most of the respondents also agreed that other bodies like the Nigerian Press Council, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Civil societies and international organisations, prepare them better for election coverage than their media organisations through training, funding, and tools. The study concludes that Nigerian journalists, being aware of their role in reporting elections, are more prepared for the task by external bodies other than employers and recommends that media organisations should deploy more resources to preparing their reporters for the job.
 
 Keywords: Agenda-setting, Election Results, Election Disputes, Nigerian Journalists, Symbolic interactionism

The datafication of digital journalism: A history of everlasting challenges between ethical issues and regulation

Data permeates nearly all spheres of society, and journalism is no exception to this since data has become a cornerstone of reality construction and perception. This contribution sets out to historicize the datafication processes in digital journalism and the way in which European institutions of media (self-)regulation have dealt with ethical issues regarding the use of data in algorithmic journalism in three areas: accountability, transparency, and privacy. The article shows that the process of datafication in journalism cannot be observed and analyzed in isolation, given that there is a double reflexivity between data-driven societal transformation processes and what happens in journalism. However, almost all press councils in Europe have so far ignored data-driven phenomena like algorithms or news automation. As a consequence, if self-regulators do not regulate, other institutions will, with the risk of news organizations being forced to make decisions on the grounds of regulatory frameworks that are not primarily intended for journalism.