The Communications Ministry has launched the Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in his speech at the ethics manual launch on Tuesday (Feb 20) that the newly launched manual was an improvement over the previous in the modern era of social media.
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00:00 Today we have launched the Journalist Ethics Code, which is the first time we have re-examined and improved the code that was developed in 1989
00:21 through the Malaysian Press Institute or MPI.
00:30 We have held four sessions on the code, including with MPI, National Union of Journalists, UKM, USM and Pro Temp.
00:51 It is a document that has been developed jointly by the government, media representatives and academic representatives.
01:04 I see this as a good effort that brings together the views, energy, income and suggestions from various parties for the sake of consistency in journalism,
01:20 and ethical standards for journalism. This is because we have found that in today's social media era,
01:34 with fast internet, slander is often spread more quickly. So our efforts to deliver true news, facts that have been examined and verified, is the first step.
01:50 But for me, the dissemination of false news needs to be maintained, not only by the proper dissemination of news, but also by the people.
02:03 There needs to be an effort to raise awareness, how to disseminate information or something that is called news.
02:15 Is it really news that is contained in it, as reported, or has it been added or modified by the relevant parties?
02:26 So I see that the Code of Ethics of Journalism that has been launched today is part of the government's efforts to overall form a culture
02:38 that is more concerned with not only the truth, but also a fair attitude towards journalists.
02:46 We cannot blame the media for spreading false news, because there are other parties who have taken the opportunity to spread the information
02:56 by taking screenshots without the content of the entire news that has been reported.
03:04 So the efforts that I have mentioned, as I said in the speech, the segments that we broadcast every night,
03:13 God willing, will be spread widely, not only the ones that are broadcast at 7.59pm every day, but also the efforts of the UN
03:23 to help the people in general to have a number of efforts or tools that enable them to get a sense of the information that is being broadcast.
03:37 This is not related to the development of any apps, but more to the attitude of training and the delivery of some practices
03:46 that we consider can help us not to become victims of false news and incorrect distribution.
03:54 So in general, what I can say here is that we see that there is a need if we get news on Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.
04:09 Do not spread it as long as we ourselves do not get any information about the news.
04:15 The easiest way is if a piece of news or information has been reported using the name of any media,
04:23 similar to the media's website. If there is a content there, then we can at least verify the information.
04:32 But at the same time, this ethical code, the journalist that we have trained, applies to everyone who holds a media identification card.
04:42 So there is a need for us to investigate other media that may be similar to the journalist.
04:51 Some may be more of a lifestyle, but from time to time, there is a piece of news that may cause a little confusion.
05:00 So even though we hope that the media will practice this ethical code, but I will also look at the MPI as an example.
05:11 And also other NGOs can help to spread to media that may not be official or lifestyle.
05:21 This is important so that the media landscape as a whole in Malaysia can be a catalyst for fake news and slander.
05:30 The question is, will this ethical code prevent media freedom?
05:35 This ethical code has existed since 1989. We are only improving it because of a few things.
05:43 For example, if we look at the eighth thing, journalists need to focus on improving their journalism skills in the future.
05:52 One of the reasons is the development of technology.
05:54 I personally, as well as the Ministry and the Ministry of Information, feel that the changes in technology have had an impact on the industry and media companies.
06:12 Many people complain to me that, for example, the advertising expenditure is decreasing every year, and more of it is being spent on social media.
06:28 So, we need to have a discussion, but journalists need to be equipped to compete and provide services that the readers want to enjoy.
06:45 And we can see that even in the context of the readers today, how much of our audience is the readers compared to the viewers.
06:56 So, this is an important change.
06:59 If we don't move forward in time, we will be left behind.
07:03 So, I hope that with this ethical code, we will be able to defend principles such as freedom of speech.
07:11 And it is written in the Constitution. But at the same time, we need to improve the awareness and skills of journalists to face the times, including the issues of AI and social media.
07:30 [ Silence ]