Parliament vs media

ISLAMABAD: After the fiasco related to the adoption of a resolution on the media’s role in the Punjab Assembly there have been reports about formulating a code of conduct for media personnel. Every professional is bound by ethics and media personnel are not exceptions to the rule. So there is a need for a code of conduct. However, this code can only be formulated by the media, civil society and the public. The executive must not interfere in this domain.

The concept of self-regulation is paramount as the media can be guided but not dictated. Regulatory bodies such as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority need to include media icons and prominent civil society members.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2010.