İREX holds training on journalistic ethics

Training on  the theme "Media Ethics" was held on Thursday by  İREX organization at the "Hilton" hotel.

The Head of İREX Representative Office in Azerbaijan, Angela Nicoara, and project manager for new media, Alasgar Mammadli, noted that the subject is always in focus of  IREX.

Head of Training, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Journalists of Romania, John Avadani - Center for Independent Journalism, Executive Director, Ioana Avadani  invited journalists to debate on the topic: who to be, a professional journalist or a  citizen.

Some participants  said they had  just came into journalism and have not yet come across a situation like this. Others said they faced the dilemma of choosing between the public interest and journalistic ethics.

It was also stated that  under the authoritarian regime restrictions  cause serious damage to the freedom of expression. It was generally agreed that, except for cases involving personal life, the priority should be given to the public interest.

Further  journalists discussed the subject of the legal context of the journalists’ activity: the laws, ethics and the public interest.

The journalist, as all citizens, should act within the law. However, if the laws of the country do not protect the rights of journalists, the primacy is given to international law. If the matter is submitted to the European Court of Human Rights, not the level of professionalism is important, but the following two principles:  has a journalist violated  good intentions, and  how it  meets  the public interest?

In some European countries, these principles are reflected in the laws. That is, the law specifies what the sentence and requires justification of punishment.

There was case  in Romania when journalist was punished by  local court, but the ECHR found him right in terms of the public interest;  and asd a result the Romanian state was punished. The were guided by the following criteria: updates news from three sources, agree with the editor, and agree with a lawyer.

At the training on November 23  there will be a discussion on the development of new media, the similarities and differences of their problems with traditional media. -05C06-