First ever political journal to be published soon in Burma

by Phanida for Mizzima

Monday, 26 January 2009 21:59

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A political journal will be published for the first time on Thursday in Burma notorious for its censorship. This 'Northern Star' journal will focus on political views, political issues at a time when the 2010 general elections are due. The editor-in-chief of this new journal will be army veteran and former government mouthpiece daily paper 'New Light of Myanmar' Vice Editor-in-Chief U Thiha Aung. "Burma is heading towards democracy. We will publish this journal in the belief that it's time to write on political issues in this period of transition to democracy. We will publish some articles written by journalists and writers which will be beneficial for the people along with reviews. Political parties will be formed soon and the organizational work of these parties will commence too. We will review the past and show the right way as we believe to the people", U Thiha Aung said. "It's been 20 years from 1988 to 2008. In our country, people know something and don't know something too. Some known facts are forgotten also. There are milestones in our history which must be recollected and remembered. We will integrate these historical facts with the up-to-date situation for public study. Our articles will be something on these lines," he added. In the first issue, 'Transition to democracy', 'The role of journalists' articles among others written by Maung Wun Tha, Maung Suu Sa and Kyaw Win will be included, it is learnt. "The main aim of our publication is contribution to current journals being published in Burma. It will complement the vacuum in the current media world in Burma which lacks a political issues-centered journal. The journalists are doing what they believe. In this crucial time of 2009-2010, current general issue journals cannot fill this vacuum. We need a special political journal filled with theory and knowledge on politics, views and experiences on politics etc. We will give these articles and views to the people with an unbiased editorial policy. We have only one objective, it is for the sake of the country", U Thiha Aung said. But he frankly admitted that they could barely publish news and articles on detained political leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her 'National League for Democracy' (NLD) party and also on 88 Gen Students. Most of the student leaders from this group are now serving long prison terms. Burma is under tight censorship popularly known as 'Press Kempetai' named after the secret military police during the Japanese occupation. U Thiha Aung served in the Army in the rank of a Major from 1972 to 1991. Then he was transferred to the Ministry of Information and later became Vice editor-in-chief of 'New Light of Myanmar' and then was promoted to Director and General Manager. He retired in 2007. "It's good. Whoever publishes whatever, it should be edited in accordance with media ethics and based on true facts," a veteran journalist-turned-politician from NLD who was released recently from prison after serving nearly 20 years told Mizzima. The Ministry of Information issued publishing licenses for six journals and six magazines in October 2008. At least 130 weekly journals are being published in Burma with such licenses. An editor from Burma does not have high hopes about the new journal given the situation of tight censorship. Political articles and news with foreign issues are being permitted more often than domestic issues which have undergo tighter restrictions. So he does not have much hope about the new journal, he said. It is learnt that the new journal 'Northern Star' will have 20 pages and will be published on Thursday with at least 3,000 copies being circulated at a price tag of Kyat 300 per copy. (Source: http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/1601-first-ever-political-journal-to-be-published-soon.html)

Media organizations implored to heed to President Banda’s advice

from The Lusaka Times

January 17, 2009

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has called on all media institutions in Zambia to heed to the call by President Rupiah Banda to ensure that they fall under one salutary media ethics regulatory board in order to make the profession more dignified.

MISA Zambia chairperson Henry Kabwe said the media's disunity and lack of common ground has sent a wrong message to the Zambian people where media ethics and professionalism is concerned.

Mr. Kabwe expressed sadness that the citizens have no knowledge on which code of ethics the Zambian media base their conduct on adding that this has made it hard for the ordinary citizens to seek redress on the ethical issues concerning the conduct of the media.

“ We would like to remind all journalists that while they facilitate the freedom of expression and access to information , they owe their allegiance to the Zambian people they serve,” he said.

Mr. Kabwe however stated that media's ethical conduct can not be enforced under statuary regulation because the media is a watch dog of the three arms of government which is supposed to provide checks and balances.

He said the statutory regulation on the media by the three arms of government might be used to hamper the role of the media as a watchdog.

He appealed to the media to ensure that it familiarizes itself with the Media Council of Zambia MECOZ so that many media ethical complaints could be handled internally to avoid actions that would cost the media and lead them to closure.

He further appealed to all media in Zambia to come under one non statutory media ethics body that will enforce media ethical conduct.

The MISA chairperson said the media has an obligation to adhere to media ethics as it carries out the duty of serving the Zambian people.

This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

The media associations have already begun the process of coming up with a strengthened non statuary media ethics regulatory body that should encompass all media in the country.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kabwe also appealed to government to waive tax on key media inputs and broadcasting equipment so as to make the media more sustainable and viable.

ZANIS/AH/MKM/ENDS

Iraq insists reporters agree to code of conduct

By Kim Gamel for the Associated Press– 19 hours ago

BAGHDAD — The government wants to require foreign and Iraqi journalists to sign a code of conduct in exchange for permission to attend this month's provincial elections, raising concerns among media analysts that independent coverage could be undermined.

Iraqi authorities said the goal is to ensure fair coverage and to prevent the distortion of facts in a politically charged environment.

Parts of the 14-page code require that reports be balanced and unbiased and prohibit media from falsifying or misrepresenting information. The code also bans coverage of candidates and political campaigns for two days before the Jan. 31 vote. Punishment for violation ranges from warnings to thousands of dollars in fines.

The rules were drafted by a government commission that oversees domestic broadcasters at the request of the independent Iraqi High Electoral Commission.

Journalists must agree to them in order to get credentials to attend election events, including press conferences and polling stations.

Critics fear the code could hamper the ability of independent journalists to provide coverage of the vote, the first in three years in Iraq, which is expected to redistribute power among Iraq's ethnic and religious groups.

"You can see that there are some good intentions here. The code tips its hat to fair coverage," said Ellen Hume, a Boston-based media analyst. "But ... once you start to define responsibility of journalists, you can get into big trouble."

Representatives from the Iraqi Journalists' Union planned to meet with electoral officials next week to discuss forming a joint committee to study any case that arises.

"We as a union consider any regulations that limit the work of journalists as a restriction, although we understand the electoral commission is trying to encourage the reporters to provide fair and objective coverage," said union head Mouyyad al-Lami.

The Associated Press is among news organizations still studying the document.

The demand for a code reflects nervousness of Iraqi officials about the fragility of recent security gains and the potential for efforts to incite violence or inflame tensions between Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and other groups.

Most Iraq's political parties operate their own newspapers and television stations, so any move against reporters could be interpreted as a crackdown on a party. That could add to political tensions.

A foreign official working with the electoral commission said foreign advisers have been trying to persuade the Iraqi panel to drop any mandatory code. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid disrupting the negotiations over the issue.

This month's vote will be the first nationwide election fully controlled by the Iraqis since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Hume acknowledged that sections of the code were aimed at defining fair journalistic practice but said that journalists should not have to sign it.

She warned the requirement threatened to isolate professional journalists whose organizations won't allow them to sign it, leaving a vacuum that could be filled by individuals unconcerned about ethics.

"A much better approach is a voluntary code of ethics, which declares that everyone is trying to be free and fair," she said.

Hume singled out the 48-hour blackout of coverage of candidates before the vote, saying it was vital to be able to report on incidents that could affect voters.

Electoral officials said the heads of polling stations around the country would be able to confiscate credentials of journalists accused of violating the code. The case would then be reported to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission the next day and must be defended, according to commission chief Faraj al-Haidari.

Violations would include such things as "criticizing the work of officials inside the voting centers by making claims without concrete evidence about breaches of the voting process," he added.

Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

Ethics Code for Children's TV in Israel

TV stations for children agree to common ethics code
by Gili Izikovich for Haaretz.com

Television stations catering to toddlers, children and adolescents agreed on a broadcasting ethics code yesterday with the Cable and Satellite Broadcast Council. The code will also be applied to the channels' Web sites, marking the first time in Israel that Internet content has been voluntarily placed under regulation by those running Web sites.

All the producers and stations focusing on children's programming signed on to the code, which was initiated by the broadcast council. Representatives of all the major stations targeting children and young people were at the meeting: the Children's Channel, Luli, Logi, Hop!, Junior, Baby, Jetix, Yesababa and Nickelodeon.

Two months ago, council chairman Nitzan Hen met with representatives from the stations to draft the code. Several meetings were held to discuss issues to promote during broadcasts and which to avoid.

At last week's meeting, the various broadcasting bodies unanimously decided to adopt the agreement drafted by Dr. Dafna Lemish in 2002, which calls on broadcasters to present "a desirable social world based on principles of human rights, tolerance for the other, freedom of religion and conscience, and respect for human beings and their freedom."

According to these criteria, broadcasts will portray a multicultural world and avoid inappropriate representations of violence and sex. Stereotypical representations of certain communities will also be avoided, as well as the encouragement of consumerism and materialism.

As the stations are adopting the regulations voluntarily, steps for its enforcement have yet to be laid out. Still, the broadcasting organizations have agreed to establish a supervisory committee for implementing the agreement composed of management representatives from the Children's Channel and Hop!, as well as the broadcast council chairman.

The supervisory committee will deliberate over public complaints about violations of the ethics code.

"The council wants to see the children's stations and the media activities related to them as 'protected areas' for young audiences, and as a responsible alternative to general television programming," said Hen.

"In that way we can raise parents' trust and confidence about the content their children are exposed to on the channels for children and youth, and on those stations' Web sites."

Journalists Under Fire When Media and News Sources Switch Places

Reverse press conference fails to get objectives
By Rimaliza Opiña
from Sun. Star Baguio
Friday, December 26, 2008

WHAT was initially conceptualized as a moment of camaraderie and fun between news sources and members of the media turned out to be "pay back" time for some of the sources.

Dubbed as "Shoe on the Other Foot, Press Conference in Reverse on Autonomy and Development," news sources were the ones who were given the privilege to ask questions of the media.

But instead of an overview of how the media gathers and composes their reports and how the newsroom works and an exchange of how to foster the relationship between news sources and media, sources complained about biases of news writers.

Rules on a questions-answer type of forum was not followed when some of the supposed "reporters" lectured on media ethics while some demanded that news stories for print should be written in the vernacular and some dwelled into the proper use of words when writing news.

Baguio Representative Mauricio Domogan during the forum consumed 30 minutes lecturing on balanced reporting and the history of moves to make the Cordillera into an autonomous region.

Objectives of the forum were not achieved, panelists and media observers say.

* Sun.Star's Jane Cadalig, the panel's youngest member, -- What happened was character assassination. We were there to make each other understand our work. It instead created a division between the source and the reporter.

* Dhobie de Guzman, executive producer and anchor of TV Patrol Northern Luzon -- Observations from the "reporters" were a welcome development. Separate forums should be held for those in the print, radio, and TV media. Panelists should also be divided into separate sectors like for non-government organizations, line agencies, and politicians.

[...]

* Dexter See, correspondent of the Manila Bulletin -- The system in every newsroom and editorial prerogatives should have been clarified and expounded.

* Bombo Radyo-Baguio Assistant Station Manager Eddie Carta -- Rules should be strictly imposed to maximize the interaction between the media and the sources.

But Philippine Information Agency Regional Director Helen Tibaldo views the forum success despite some glitches. "In a way we were able to achieve something."

She said rules haves not been strictly followed but this is a good start, considering this was the first time in many years a reverse press conference was held.

Tibaldo vowed that in the next forum, suggestions will be incorporated, including questions from the provinces in the Cordillera.

"Shoe on the Other Foot" is a project of the IEC on Regional Autonomy and Development. It was covered simultaneously by local radio and TV stations in the city, Kalinga and Mt. Province. It hopes to create a clearer picture and promote critical collaboration between news sources and news reporters in the dissemination of autonomy issues and other regional development concerns.

(Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2008/12/26/news/reverse.press.conference.fails.to.get.objectives.html)