Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.
The existence of online media in Indonesia is also a manifestation of these freedoms.
Online media has unique characteristics, and therefore requires specific guidelines to ensure its management is carried out professionally, fulfilling its functions, rights, and obligations in accordance with Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.
For this reason, the Press Council, together with press organizations, online media managers, and the public, has established the following Online News Media Reporting Guidelines:
1. Scope
Online Media refers to all forms of media that use the internet as their platform and carry out journalistic activities, fulfilling the requirements of the Press Law and the Press Company Standards established by the Press Council.
User Generated Content (UGC) refers to any content created and/or published by users of online media, including but not limited to articles, images, comments, audio, videos, and any other uploads attached to online media platforms such as blogs, forums, reader or viewer comments, and other similar forms.
2. Verification and News Balance
In principle, every news article must go through a verification process.
News that could potentially harm another party must be verified within the same report to uphold the principles of accuracy and balance.
Exceptions to this rule are allowed only if:
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The news truly contains urgent public interest;
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The original source is clearly identified, credible, and competent;
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The subject of the news is unavailable or cannot be interviewed; and
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The media provides an explanation to readers that the news still requires further verification, which will be pursued as soon as possible.
This explanation must appear at the end of the same article, enclosed in parentheses and italicized.
After publishing such news, the media is obligated to continue verification efforts, and once verification is obtained, the result must be published in an updated article with a link to the unverified version.
3. User Generated Content
Online media must include clear terms and conditions for User Generated Content that comply with Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.
Online media must require all users to register and log in before being able to publish any form of User Generated Content. Further provisions on login procedures will be determined separately.
During registration, users must provide written consent stating that any published User Generated Content:
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Does not contain false, defamatory, violent, or obscene material;
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Does not contain prejudice or hatred related to ethnicity, religion, race, or inter-group relations (SARA), and does not encourage violence;
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Does not contain discriminatory material based on gender or language, and does not demean individuals who are weak, poor, ill, mentally disabled, or physically disabled.
Online media has the absolute authority to edit or remove any User Generated Content that violates the above conditions.
Online media must also provide an accessible complaint mechanism for users to report any User Generated Content that violates these provisions.
Online media must edit, remove, or correct any reported User Generated Content found to be in violation as soon as possible, and no later than 2 x 24 hours after the complaint is received.
Online media that comply with the requirements above are not liable for any issues arising from the publication of violating content.
However, online media will be held responsible if corrective action is not taken within the specified time frame.
4. Corrections, Clarifications, and Right of Reply
Corrections, clarifications, and the right of reply shall refer to the Press Law, the Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Right of Reply Guidelines established by the Press Council.
Corrections, clarifications, or right-of-reply statements must be linked to the original article that is being corrected or clarified.
Each correction, clarification, or right-of-reply statement must include the date and time of publication.
If a news article from one online media outlet is republished by another outlet:
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The responsibility of the original media is limited to content published on its own platform or under its technical authority;
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Any correction made by the original media must also be carried out by other media that quoted or republished the article;
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Media that fail to make such corrections are fully liable for all legal consequences resulting from the uncorrected content.
According to the Press Law, any online media outlet that fails to provide the right of reply may be subject to a criminal fine of up to Rp 500,000,000 (five hundred million rupiah).
5. News Retraction
Published news articles cannot be retracted due to external censorship, except in cases related to:
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Ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group issues (SARA);
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Morality;
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The future of minors;
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The traumatic experiences of victims; or
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Other special considerations as determined by the Press Council.
Other online media that quote a retracted article must also follow the retraction.
Every retraction must include an explanation and justification and must be publicly announced.
6. Advertising
Online media must clearly distinguish between news content and advertisements.
Any article, report, or content that constitutes advertising or paid material must be explicitly labeled as “advertorial,” “advertisement,” “ads,” “sponsored,” or another equivalent term that indicates it is paid content.
7. Copyright
Online media must respect copyright laws as stipulated in applicable legislation.
8. Display of Guidelines
Online media are required to publish these Online News Media Reporting Guidelines clearly and prominently on their platforms.
9. Dispute Resolution
Any final judgment or dispute related to the implementation of these Online News Media Reporting Guidelines shall be resolved by the Press Council.
Jakarta, February 3, 2012
(These guidelines were signed by the Press Council and members of the press community in Jakarta on February 3, 2012.)
Source: Press Council (Dewan Pers)