Nowadays, ethics has become a vital element for media practitioners. The code of ethics are the moral principles for living and making decisions. Ethics is a theoretical framework that guides people right from the wrong, good from the bad. The code of ethics helps to ensure that standards are set internally. As a media practitioner, it is essential to understand media ethics as ethics are help to gain public trust and contribute a more significant innovation in the industry. In short, ethics is essential for media practitioners as it provided actual and practical guidance in daily lives.
Based on the ethics case that selected, the professional code of ethics that relevantly applicable to the cases is the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJ). According to Tariq (2018), Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman, 46, a Danish national, has published a video on YouTube, and he was punished for week’s jail and fined RM10,000 (The Star Online, 2018). Karim (2018) reported that in the video Salah Salem claimed that he was with the victims during the assassination and made 43 calls to the police. However, the police only arrived after 50 minutes, with an ambulance arriving only an hour later after he made the numerous calls. (NST Online, 2018)
Based on the Porter Box Model, in the first step, Salah Salem has published the fake news on YouTube, and the video had caused the public’s bad reputation toward the police and nation. Salah pleaded guilty of publishing the fake news that had damaged the image of the police. The Star Online reported that Salah Salem was the first person to be charged and sentenced under the Section4(1) of the Anti-Fake News Act and Section 233(3) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998. However, the 1 minute and 49-second video posted by Salah Salem has been spread out throughout the social media (NST Online, 2018). Thus, it is right for The Star Online to report the news for the public to avoid the wrong perception toward the police and nation?
In step 2, the personal value of a journalist is to report the facts about the case. As a journalist, it may help the organization gain more readers by posted this video, and people may attract to watch the video and criticize the police. However, the professional value of NUJ to apply in the situation is to respect the truth. It is due to the first duty of the journalists is to respect truth and right for the public. It is important to ensure the truth and facts about the case instead of gain more readers by providing wrong information.
According to Kovach and Rosenstiel (2001), journalists must verify the sources as transparent as possible so that the news will be more valuable than content from other information sources. In this case, The Star Online seek the truth about video and report it to the public is valuable. As a journalist, it should be honest, fair, and courageous when gather and published the information and news to readers.
In step 3, an ethical theory that applies to the values is the categorical imperative. According to Basara (2018), categorical imperative argued that doing what should do and why should do based on the particular situation. In other words, it seeks the truth of the case and reports it to the public is fulfilling the duty as a journalist. The Star Online had made an ethical decision by telling people the truth. According to Kemerling (n.d.), Kant’s moral duty argued that have a positive effect on the public and not to promote unjustified harm. The Star Online had minimized the harm after published the news as people will realize the truth and stop spreading the video on social media. Therefore, The Star Online was successfully making an ethical decision by reporting the truth of the case to the public.
On the other hand, utilitarianism proves that published the news to the public is an ethical decision. In this case, Salah Salem had posted the video that damage the reputation of police and nation and has been spread out of the social media. According to Lester (2015), the Utilitarian argued that the purpose of morality is to increase the good things and decrease bad things to make life better. This philosophy suggests seeking the truth for the public will bring significant benefits to the community. The case reported by The Star online will also persuade many others to drive more carefully before posting the information on social media. According to Stephan (n.d.), utilitarianism considered a simple theory as it consists of one principle, to do something that produces the best consequences. Thus, The Star Online made an ethical decision while producing the best outcome with the least amount of harm by published the fact of the case.
In step 4, The Star’s journalist upholds the duty to the organization as the journalist had published the news and proved that it was the fake news. Besides, a journalist’s duty to the profession is respecting the truth of the information and report it to the public. Also, journalist upholds the duty to the society by putting the public interest and truth above the journalist’s perspectives and assumptions. In general, the decision of the journalist is proven ethical to solve this case of spreading fake news on social media.
As a result, the application of values leads to the general conclusion that it is ethical for a journalist by reporting the truth of the case. Besides, the application of ethical theories, which are categorical imperative and utilitarian leads to the general conclusion that reporting facts to the public after Salah Salem convicted guilty was ethical. Also, based on loyalties to society leads to the general conclusion that the news should be reported to persuade people to drive more carefully and avoid any adverse perceptions toward police and the nation.
In conclusion, the journalist has made an effective and ethical solution in this case by providing information to people, meanwhile fulfilling the first duty of journalists, truthfulness.
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