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Media Ethics in the Age of Citizen Journalism


We live in the world of digital media where news has transformed in form, function and delivery. As much as the traditional media houses have embraced digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the harsh truth is news no longer breaks in the newsrooms. It happens through viral videos, FB complaint rants, Twitter polls and often times through whom we call citizen journalists.

Opinion and judgements are instant and louder and easier to disseminate. A smartphone with stable Internet connection creates dozens of self-appointed reporters, influencers and thought leaders. While this burst in freedom of speech and space for opinions is by far a historic change in the information landscape, there are still glaring issues that should and must be addressed.

The main focus here is ethics and why it should be practiced.  Ethics are values that are applicable to the common person in ensuring credibility and integrity especially while sharing news. The media are bound by these ethics (safe a few who choose to ignore it) but almost not required of the citizen journalist. Let's look at 3 basic ethics that can go a long way in assessing the nature of a news before proceeding to share.

1) Truth and accuracy is the most important ethic. Almost always there are two or more versions to a story. This ethic comes into play by verifying each account before sending your version of the story out. A better case to be highlighted will be the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple issue. Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, 24, a firefighter who had severe lungs injuries during the riot passed away on December 2018 after the treatment failed. A video claiming that the fireman was hit by a fire engine that reversed out of a sudden and not beaten up by the rioters went viral which interrupted the ongoing investigation. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun confirmed that it’s a false video and Adib wasn’t hit by the fire engine. Thus, it’s clear that the concept of truth and accuracy was not practiced by the citizen journalist who shared the video which led to other complications.

2) The practice of independence is a key factor of reporting. Citizen journalism is however driven by personal information and opinions. This is of course welcomed as opinions are the founding paths of new ideas but in the event of public concern, an incident must be viewed more objectively to avoid forming biasness sections of self-interest amongst communities. We can't deny that in the past, some traditional media did not tread the path of independence either but there has been much improvement since May 2018. It is fair that as citizen journalists, we also must practise lesser bias and more independent and neutral thoughts when sharing information on our platforms. We must share only facts and not opinions.

3) Humanity is also an important ethic when it comes to the world of viral news. We have seen tons of videos of people involved in accidents, being harassed, abused and are being caught on video by those who could have possibly lent a hand. This shouldn’t be the way. It’s very important to practice humanity rather than taking videos that can go viral, and not help save the lives of those injured.

In conclusion, ethics are crucial elements in the age of citizen journalism and it is important to note or think about these elements before sharing news, images or videos. It's not all about the likes and shares, at most times, these viral messages involve people, their livelihoods, image and most importantly privacy who deserve equal respect. Let us all be a responsible citizen journalist.

“Journalism is not about quoting A who says it is black, and quoting B who says it is white. Responsible journalism is about finding out if it is indeed black or white”.

This article is contributed by Sharveswary Balakrishnan, Managing Partner/PR/Media Relations Lead Counsel and Thiviyah Manicam, Communications Executive.

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