Media ethics: Speakers highlight need for a code

Conference on media ethics aims to evolve a code of ethics while protecting media’s freedom.

ISLAMABAD: A two-day national conference on media ethics that started here on Thursday aims to evolve a code of ethics while protecting media’s freedom. A decade after the Press Council of Pakistan was formed, it has still not been able to come up with a policy document to act as a guide for the media and ensure protection for individuals’ right to privacy and a fair chance to air their views. For the conference on “Media Ethics — Theory and Practice”, the press council has invited scholars from universities across the country to give their academic feedback on ethics. Veteran journalists such as Muhammad Ziauddin, Mujibur Rehman Shami and Hamid Mir also expounded upon the practicalities in journalism. Mir said, “Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; media are quick to convict the accused, which is a grave violation of the code of ethics.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2012.