Media ethics getting complex : Professional bodies can do a lot

WONDERING whether there are any professional codes of conduct in journalism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised at The Tribune’s 125th anniversary function the issue of media ethics and responsibilities in a provocative way. In no civilised society is mass media without some societal compulsions and moral obligations nor, is it without any restraints and responsibilities as in the case of freedom. Ethical foundation is what gives it a stature and strength for a societal role, particularly where credibility is the principal criterion, as in the case of mass media. Ethical practice and norms distinguish rights from wrongs. In fact, an unfettered Press, without ethical concerns, can be a threat to a free society and to its very independence.