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.
Freedom of the press serves as a means for the public to obtain information and communicate, fulfilling essential human needs and improving the quality of life. In realizing this freedom, Indonesian journalists recognize national interests, social responsibilities, cultural diversity, and religious values.
In carrying out its functions, rights, obligations, and roles, the press respects the human rights of every individual. Therefore, the press is required to operate professionally and remain open to public oversight.
To safeguard press freedom and fulfill the public’s right to accurate information, Indonesian journalists require moral and ethical foundations as operational guidelines to maintain public trust and uphold integrity and professionalism.
On this basis, Indonesian journalists establish and abide by the following Journalistic Code of Ethics:
Article 1
Indonesian journalists act independently, producing accurate, balanced news, and without ill intent.
Interpretation:
a. Independent means reporting events or facts based on conscience without interference, coercion, or intervention from other parties, including the owners of the media company.
b. Accurate means truthful and consistent with the objective conditions at the time the event occurred.
c. Balanced means that all parties are given equal opportunity.
d. Without ill intent means there is no deliberate intention to cause harm to others.
Article 2
Indonesian journalists use professional methods in carrying out journalistic duties.
Interpretation:
Professional methods include:
a. Identifying themselves to sources;
b. Respecting privacy rights;
c. Not accepting or offering bribes;
d. Producing factual news with clearly identified sources;
e. Providing proper attribution for manipulated or edited photos, images, or sounds, and presenting them in a balanced manner;
f. Respecting the traumatic experiences of sources when presenting images, photos, or sounds;
g. Not committing plagiarism, including presenting other journalists’ work as their own;
h. Using special methods only when necessary for investigative reporting in the public interest.
Article 3
Indonesian journalists always verify information, report news in a balanced manner, do not mix facts with judgmental opinions, and apply the presumption of innocence.
Interpretation:
a. Verifying information means conducting check and recheck on the truthfulness of information.
b. Balanced means giving each party proportional space or time in reporting.
c. Judgmental opinion refers to a journalist’s personal opinion, distinct from interpretative opinion, which is an interpretation of facts.
d. Presumption of innocence means not passing judgment on anyone.
Article 4
Indonesian journalists do not produce false, slanderous, cruel, or obscene news.
Interpretation:
a. False means something known by the journalist to be untrue at the time of reporting.
b. Slanderous means making baseless accusations with malicious intent.
c. Cruel means brutal and without compassion.
d. Obscene refers to depictions of erotic behavior through photos, images, sounds, graphics, or writing solely intended to arouse sexual desire.
e. When broadcasting archival footage or sound, journalists must include the time of recording.
Article 5
Indonesian journalists do not reveal or broadcast the identity of victims of sexual crimes or the identity of minors who are perpetrators of crimes.
Interpretation:
a. Identity refers to all data or information about an individual that enables others to trace that person.
b. Minor means anyone under 16 years of age and not married.
Article 6
Indonesian journalists do not misuse their profession and do not accept bribes.
Interpretation:
a. Misusing the profession refers to using privileged information obtained during journalistic work for personal gain before it becomes public knowledge.
b. Bribery means any gift in the form of money, goods, or facilities from another party that compromises journalistic independence.
Article 7
Indonesian journalists have the right to protect the confidentiality of their sources, respect embargoes, background information, and off-the-record agreements.
Interpretation:
a. Right to protect sources means the right to withhold the identity and location of a source for the safety of the source and their family.
b. Embargo means delaying publication or broadcast at the source’s request.
c. Background information refers to data or statements from a source that may be reported without revealing the source’s identity.
d. Off the record means information that cannot be published or broadcast.
Article 8
Indonesian journalists do not write or broadcast news based on prejudice or discrimination against anyone based on ethnicity, race, skin color, religion, gender, or language, and do not demean individuals who are weak, poor, ill, or physically/mentally disabled.
Interpretation:
a. Prejudice means forming negative assumptions without sufficient knowledge or clarity.
b. Discrimination means unequal or unfair treatment.
Article 9
Indonesian journalists respect the privacy rights of their sources, except when it is in the public interest.
Interpretation:
a. Respecting privacy rights means exercising restraint and caution.
b. Private life covers all aspects of a person’s life and family unrelated to public interest.
Article 10
Indonesian journalists promptly retract, correct, and rectify inaccurate news, accompanied by an apology to readers, listeners, and/or viewers.
Interpretation:
a. Promptly means taking action as soon as possible, with or without external warning.
b. Apology is issued when the mistake concerns the core substance of the report.
Article 11
Indonesian journalists accommodate the right of reply and the right of correction proportionally.
Interpretation:
a. Right of reply is the right of a person or group to respond to or refute factual reporting that damages their reputation.
b. Right of correction is the right of anyone to correct inaccurate information published about themselves or others.
c. Proportionally means equal in size or prominence to the portion of the news being corrected.
Final judgment on violations of this Journalistic Code of Ethics shall be made by the Press Council.
Sanctions for violations of the Code of Ethics shall be imposed by journalist organizations and/or media companies.
Jakarta, Tuesday, March 14, 2006
(The Journalistic Code of Ethics was ratified by the Press Council through Press Council Regulation No. 6/Peraturan-DP/V/2008 concerning the Endorsement of Press Council Decree No. 03/SK-DP/III/2006 on the Journalistic Code of Ethics as a Press Council Regulation.)