Media Ethics: Importance and Self-Regulation

Media Ethics

The ‘Fourth Estate’ has degraded in professional and ethical standards as Journalists have gone berserk and deserted their moral values which is harming the interests of the society. Mad rush for wealth and materialistic assets had forced them to indulge in yellow journalism. Advertisements and TRPs have become the new motivating force for the media houses with news as a glamorous product produced for entertainment. Journalists should voluntarily follow codes of conduct and ethics. These ethics are not for controlling media but are necessary for fair and objective use of media for maintaining freedom of speech and expression in true spirit. This involved a sensitive balancing act to protect the rights of individuals while exercising the right to freedom of expression. The freedom of media should be preserved and protected. Any direct or indirect interference from state, the owner, or other sector is violation on its freedom to discharge its duties towards the society. However, if there is no responsibility and no obligation attached to media, its freedom slowly declines away. Thus, media have a responsibility towards the society and self-regulation is the only answer.

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