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Rwanda Journalists and Media Practitioners‘ Code of Ethics

Introduction to the

Rwanda Journalists and Media Pracitioners’ Code of Ethics

Training package content list Version: .... 2014

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As a trainer for the Introduction course on the Code of Ethics you will find and need the following: Softcopies:

Checklist for preparing the workshop

Workshop schedule

List of participants to be filled in by the trainer

Invitation letter to be filled in and send by the trainer

PowerPoint presentation for the workshop Hardcopies:

Handouts for the participants

Code of Ethics booklet for the participants

Certificates

Accreditation forms

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Introduction to the


Checklist for upcoming workshops Version: .... 2014

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Checklist for upcoming workshops Before the workshop:

Decision on date and location of workshop

Finalise list of participants (max. 15)

Invite participants

Check reconfirmation of participation

Secure workshop location

Availability of a projector

Availability of flipchart incl. paper

Clarify transportation for trainer and participants if applicable

Book catering if applicable

Collect material for participants:

Handouts Code of Ethics booklets Certificates Accreditation forms

After the workshop

Report about completion to RMC

Hand in list of participants

Fill in post workshop report

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Introduction to the


Workshop schedule (Full day)

09.00 – 09.30 Registration of Workshop Participants and introduction round 09.30 – 10.00 Self reflection: What is a journalist? What is his/her role and what

is his/her Ethicsal responsibility? 10.00 – 10.30 Editorial contents:

Sensational headlines Search for truth The difference between facts and comments and how to mark them

10.30 – 11.00 Tea Break 11.00 – 12.30 Presentation of the Code of Ethics 12.30 – 13.30 Lunch Break 13.30 – 14.30 The Code of Ethics in practice: Case studies 14.30 – 15.00 Tea Break 15.00 – 15.30 The role of RMC and ARJ 15.30 – 16.00 Looking ahead and accreditations

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Introduction to the


List of participants Date: Location: Trainer: No. Name Mediaoutlet Phone e-mail Remark 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

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Invitation to the introduction workshop about

Rwanda Journalists and Media Practitioners‘ Code of Ethics The Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) invites you, __________________________ to participate in the introduction workshop about “Rwanda Journalists and Media Practitioners‘ Code of Ethics“ Venue: Date: Time: 09.00 – 17.00 Trainer: Your presence will be highly appreciated. With best regards _______________________________ Fred Muvunyi, Chairman

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Introduction to the


Workshop Handout Version: .... 2014

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I.: Introduction Freedom of speech is a basic right to reach justice, liberty, democracy, sustainable peace, development and security. The Government of Rwanda ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedom of speech, opinion, conscience and press are part of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda The profession of a journalist is often referred to a “watchdog”. That means that the journalist is taking care of the interests of the general public by following political, economic and other major developments. The duty of a journalist in this is to serve the public in knowing the truth and to inform them. That means: Reporting has to be fair, accurate, objective, balanced and a comprehensive account of events and issues. The work of a journalist should be free of political and economic influence. To support these values, RMC is promoting the awareness about the Code of Ethics:

The Code of Ethics is not a set of legally enforcable „rules“. It is a source for Ethical decision making. A media fraternity can hold itself accountable along the Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics should help to guide the Ethical behaviour in the media.

The accountability of a journalist needs to be reflected in his professional and private life. This includes a responsibility of the journalists not mix up personal and professional life and views as well as judging the own work along the Ethical dimension of a media professional. The journalist is not a celebrity.

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II.: Editorial content Sensational headlines: Article 11: The journalist and any other media professional shall refrain from using any sensational headline which is not proportional to the facts and content of the information broadcasted or published. Headlines and captions to pictures shall give a reasonable reflection of the contents of the reports in question. Pictures shall not misrepresent or mislead nor be manipulated to do so. Article 7: The journalist and any other media professional shall avoid broadcasting or publishing certain scenes of violence or obscene pictures encouraging violence or other illegal activities unless doing so would serve a clearly discernable higher interest of informing the public. An example from a Ugandan online newssite:

A person was shot dead, but in the picture is a knife The knife is full of blood, which is exposing a character of the scene that is not

provable in this case The headline on the right “Man hacks wife to death for abandoning marital home”

is over exaggerated as is the picture of the bloody knife in this case as well. Even if the knives would be the weapon used for the respective murder it would

expose too much violence

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The relation between the journalistic interest of publishing information, the interest and protection of the public as well as the way of publishing needs to keep proportionality. Alternatives in the above mentioned cases could be neutral pictures of the crime scenes, a police officer who is giving an interview about the case or less brutal language. Search for truth: Article 2: The journalist and any other media practitioner shall always strive to tell the truth. They have the obligation to respect facts and search for the truth, keeping in mind the public’s right to receive true information. (….) An example for distorting the truth in the headline: Correct: Incorrect:

GlaxoSmithKline plans to open a factory in Africa and is looking as three countries for this. One is Rwanda. The New Times is on its side writing as if it is already decided that the factory will be set up in Rwanda. The facts are not properly respected and the headline does not represent the truth. Separating comments from facts: Article 13: The journalist and any other media practitioner are free to make a stand on any issue, however, when publishing information, they have the professional obligation to separate comments from facts.

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What is the difference in the editorial content of facts and comments? Facts:

A journalistic report contains facts only and no comments Facts need to be well-balanced and all involved sides should have their say. The w’s: Who, what, when, where, why, …. are the key information of the report The reaction of involved people can reflect an opinion. But to remain objective all

involved parties should be asked. If they refuse a statement, the journalist can say that. Opinions by involved parties need to marked as such either as quotation or as

reported speech How to ensure objectivity in a report? The reporter aims to write a balanced report about the chaotic traffic after an accident. Here are two possible samples: “After the police closed the road because of the accident traffic collapsed. It took two hours until the situation came back to normal.”

vs. “It was a big mistake of the police to close the road because of the accident. It would have been much better to remove the damaged cars immediately. The police is working very bad.” The first sample is a simple description of the situation without opinions and not more than straight descriptions. The second sample is not following the rules of a well-balanced report:

- It contains opinions - The police is not given the possibility to comment on the situation - If the reporter is quoting affected drivers this needs to be marked

What is the solution? “After the police closed the road because of the accident traffic collapsed. Mister X, who was waiting in his car said: “I think, it was a mistake by the police to close the road.” In his opinion, the officers should have removed the damaged cars immediately. But police officer Y defended the work: “First we had to do some analysis. Then we could remove the cars.” It took two hours until the situation came back to normal.” Comment / Opinion:

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Represents the personal view of the journalist. Needs to be marked as such Still should be fair and free of Libel and Defamation In his opinion the journalist is referred as a professional who is able to judge

about the topic Facts within the Comment need to be true.

An example for a clearly marked comment taken from theeastafrican.co.ke on June 16, 2014:

Following an example for commenting facts. In this case the reader must be sure, that the journalist somehow knows about the topic of how youth are attracted by politics or not. „The one field that has however failed to attract quality youth is politics. Somehow, as decent youth of talent and industry join other sectors, in politics it seems mostly the dregs are invited or accommodated.“ (http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke „In Ugandan politics-youth is wasted on the young“ Read June 16 2014)

Following an example for mixing comment and facts:

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Under the headline “Who will hold FARDC responsible for their exactions?“ an Article was published on June 14, 2014. It describes the happenings at the Rwanda-DRC border. The last sentence of the article is the following: „However, even with the facts established, a fundamental question remains: who will be held accountable for an army that consistently commits crimes across its borders and threatens the security of innocent citizens. Is the DRC army willing to trade regional security for a few cows?“ (http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?a=77577&i=15753)

This is a comment by the author reflecting his analysis or opinion. If it is a quotation by a resident or official it needs to be marked as such. If not, it should be publicised in the comment section.

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III.: The Code of Ethics Part I: Journalists obligations

Defense of universal values o Peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights and other in accordance to

UDHR o Dignity of all human beings regardless of race, tribe, ethnic group or

beliefs

Honesty and search for truth o Obligation to respect facts and search for the truth o Do not suppress essential information or distort remarks o Libel and defamation are gross professional misconduct

Social responsibility

o The information you are publishing is crucial: proof it o If there is any reservation towards your information express it

Avoid incitement to hatred

o Do not publish information that can serve as a basis of stigmatization

Rectification, right of reply and right to retort o Proof your information before you publish it o Rectify published false news or inaccurate information o If false information is broadcasted a rectification, a reply or a retort needs

to be published in a prominent place

Respect for private life and human dignity o Publication of information of private life shall be dictated by public

interest o Journalists should not ridicule vulnerable individuals or groups o Protect vulnerable groups and underprivileged

Violence and obscenities

o Avoid broadcasting certain scenes of violence or obscene pictures o Unless there is a clear higher interest of informing the public

Protection of minors and victims of rape

o Do not identify the names of victims of rape or minors o Do not publish their picture o Before publishing victims of rape need to agree to the publication and

should get an explanation on possible consequences

Professional honour and dignity

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o Do not obtain information through unfair methods o Do not abuse the good faith of your source o Do not take advantages: financial or in any other kind to influence the

coverage

Independence o Withstand external or internal pressure aiming at influencing your

reporting o Follow your editorial guidelines

Sensational headlines and exaggeration of facts

o Use to the facts proportional headlines o Pictures should be matching the report

Protection of sources

o Mention your sources, but protect them if they requested confidentiality

Separation of comments and facts o Mark comments o Don’t mix comments into factual reporting

Information balance

o The journalist is impartial! o Balance the information and present all points of views

Plagiarism

o Do not copy/paste and respect intellectual property o If you need to use third parties material: make the source clearly visible

Incompatibility between journalism and media relations

o Being a PR-person is not matching the profession of a journalist at the same time

Innocence presumption

o Suspects are to presumed innocent until a verdict is spoken o Names and pictures needs to be protected until verdict is spoken

Solidarity

o Defend and protect the interests of your profession o Support your colleagues in your work when they are subject of legal

proceedings or administrative procedures Journalists Rights

Subordination refusal o Withstand external influence that is contrary to your editorial guidelines

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Conscience provision

o If you should write or read comments or editorials in contradiction to the rules and professional Ethics you may invoke the conscience provision

Protection

o As journalist you are entitled to the protection of your person, materials and legal protection

Protection of sources

o You can refuse to disclose your sources o There are legal limits for disclosing sources o You should not be threatened to disclose your source

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IV.: Case studies The knowledge of the Code of Ethics is low and this is reflected on a regular basis in the Rwandan media by the way of reporting. With the help of some case studies it should be visualised how the Code of Ethics can help to professionalise the reporting:

Case study #1:

Referring to Article 11 of the Code of Ethics: Sensational headlines and exaggeration of facts

In Umusingi Newspaper the following contents were published on 1st October and 1st November 2013: “Lt. Kayonga yarushije abayobozi bose imbaraga cyeretse Perezida Kagame wenyine. Bivugwa ko yabaze umusaza nk’ihene agatwitaka n’umukecuru [Lt. Kayonga more powerful that all leaders apart from President Kagame. Is said to have slaughtered an oldman like a goat and burnt an old woman].” and “Inkuru y’uwishe umusaza amubaze kn’ihene yahinduye isura. [The story of one who killed an old man by slaughtering him like a goat has changed status.]” Content: The two stories in the newspaper covered an alleged murder and jailing of the son of the victims by an army lieutenant and failure of state agencies to intervene. The murders are alleged to have happened after the said soldier‘s brother raped a daughter of the oldman. A detailed narrative of what one party [the victim] has to say. The accused is said to not have answered his phone. In the second story, the soldier gives his side of the story claiming the accusations in the first story are false. The story goes ahead to speculate on information that the accuser- the oldman’s son- could have killed his father over land. Critic about the content:

1. Both editions of the newspaper had front page photos of top government officials like President Kagame, Minister of Defence, Army chief, Inspector General of Police, Ombudsman who are not mentioned anywhere in the stories and basically have nothing to do with it.

2. The title and pictures create an immediate impression to an onlooker that the generals have something to do with a murder.

3. Facts are unverified or sensationalized e.g. “…slaughtering him like a goat…” 4. Serious allegations are not subjected to scrutiny before publishing.

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5. The headlines are even scary. 6. Government authorities accused are not given a possibility for a response.

Consequences: These stories provoked a complaint from the police about the use of the IGP’s picture. Credit to the journalist is that the accused person is given a right of reply in the next edition. However, their allegations are also published without extra evident verification. What does this case study tell us?

A classical example of sensationalism and misrepresentation of facts What may seem acceptable actually violates the code. The use of pictures on front pages not factual to the story should be avoided.

Case study #2:

Referring to Article 14 of the Code of Ethics: Information balance

In Umuseso Newspaper the following content was published on 6th December 2007: “Karegeya yanze kubaho ari mu kato. Inshuti ze zari zamuhaye akato kubera gutinya ubutegetsi [Karegeya refused to live in isolation]” Content: The story reports on the then recent flight to exile of former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya after his release from prison. Describes by anonymous sources how Karegeya had been isolated by fellow officers and other citizens. Also reports on a supposed meeting between Karegeya and senior army officers like General Kabarebe. The writer makes an analysis that when one falls out with the powers that be, they are likely to be killed if they don’t run. Critic about the content:

1. Probably the story is well sourced at publishing date since most information was later proved accurate.

2. The question is that the side that is accused is not given chance to respond. 3. If it had been given a chance to respond, the author does not indicate that he tried

to ask the army leadership for comment. What does this case study tell us?

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A significant lesson on how to handle sensitive information a journalist has and

how to verify it. Important to always ask the other side mentioned what their comment is for

balance. Even if seeking balance compromise the ability to publish the story it should be

practiced

Case study #3:

Referring to Article 4: Incitement to hatred

In the Kenyan Newspaper Daily Nation the following content was published on 11th April 2014: “POLITICALLY CORRECT. Turning screws on Somalis will force them reveal attacks” Content: A newspaper columnist writes about what should be a response to terrorist attacks in Kenya claiming that they have all been traced to Somalis. He calls for vengeance, applauding the mass arrest of Somalis in Kenya. Critic about the content: While this is a satirical column, this particular article went beyond what is acceptable and attracted intense criticism from Rwanda and international journalists especially those who were not regular readers of the column as a satirical one. Main critique is it criminalises a whole people [Somalis] as terrorists. Generalizing an identity as guilty is the first stage of hate speech disguised as it may be. What does this case study tell us?

Even satire has a limitation particularly when dealing with conflict situations like terrorism and ethnicity.

Generalizing an identity and separating an accusation from its background of race, nation, tribe etc must always be taken into account by editors even for satire.

Consider that tough anti-hate speech laws exist in Rwanda and media is particularly affected.

Case study #4:

Referring to Article 8:

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Protection of minors and victims of rape In 2013 a video was published on TV10 called: “Abana baba muri gereza [ Children who live in prison]” Content: A story about children who live in prison with the mother inmates and what the prison authorities are doing to give them a proper upbringing. Relates to women who have children too young to be without their mothers. So that they end up also in prison when their mothers are arrested or while in custody. Video shows children attending Kindergarten. Critic about the content:

This is an otherwise good story with an investigative element, good quality picture and narration by the journalist is good. Also the choice of topic to raise awareness to such children and their mothers is of public interest.

This is all spoilt by the fact that the faces of the children are not blurred in the video, yet they are presumed innocent. Could have an effect on them if identifiable later.

The story could have achieved its goal without the visible faces of the minors. What does this case study tell us? Journalists should realize that a small failure could spoil an otherwise good story. For television, it even becomes more important. Reminder that an effort should be made to protect the vulnerable.

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V.: The Role of the RMC and ARJ RMC and ARJ are the central organisations for journalists in Rwanda. RMC as self-regulating body is responsible for:

- Registering media houses - Handling accreditation of journalists (every journalist in Rwanda needs to

hold an accreditation from RMC) - Putting the Code of Ethics in place and raising awareness of it - Handling complains regarding the Code of Ethics - Protecting the rights of the journalists

The RMC is a supportive organisation of the journalists, meant to strengthen their rights and to protect them and their interests. It as well protects the public from unprofessional journalism. It is not a Commission to represent interests of politics.

In terms of the Code of Ethics, the RMC has the following duties and authorities:

Peer jurisdication o The journalists should accept peer jurisdication from the Rwanda Media

Commission in case of complains about perceived breaches of the code

Consultation obligation o Editorial teams should be informed about important decisions with an

impact on the media outlet

Contract and remuneration o You should be entitled to get a contract and remuneration that supports

your economic independence

Violation of the Code o An Ethicsal Committee of the RMC will examine and evaluate violations of

this code of Ethics o Journalists will have the opportunity to defend their work

Sanctions

o Decided by the Ethics Commission o Clarification, apology, follow-up article, right of reply, verbal warning,

written warning, suspension, financial penalties, exclusion from the membership (only with approval of a General assembly)

Complaints on adherence to Code

o Every person can raise a complain and request to Ethics Committee to examine the case

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Right of reply o A journalist has the right to defend him or herself before any sanction

ARJ is the Journalist association of Rwanda.

- It represents the interests of the journalists - ARJ brings journalists together to build solidarity and support a

professional media in Rwanda - It supports working conditions and standards in journalism - ARJ is striving for strengthening press freedom and independent media in

Rwanda - It cooperates with international journalists association such as IFJ and

EAJA Contact details: RMC – Rwanda Media Commission Located at Press House in Remera opposite Amahoro Stadium next to Sports View Hotel Chairman: Fred Muvunyi Mail: Phone: ARJ – Rwanda Journalist Association Located at Press House in Remera opposite Amahoro Stadium next to Sports View Hotel President: Collin Haba Executive Secretary: Gonza Muganwa Phone: 078-8586225 or 072-8251163 Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.arj.rw

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Introduction to the


List of trainers

Name Organistion Phone e-mail Remarks 1 Karema Luke RMC 0788437845 [email protected] Head of Legal affairs.

Experience in handling complaints

2 Isugi Gloriose RMC 0783516521 [email protected] In charge of monitoring and accreditation, journalist

3 Jane Uwimana ARJ 0788625963 [email protected] Radio journalist, ARJ secretary general

4 Mugabe Robert Greatlakesvoice.com

0788350090 [email protected] Former RMC chairman, journalist and lawyer

5 Kwibuka Eugene The New Times

0788490241 [email protected] Senior journalist and editor

6 Anna Enjao Eboi Mt Kenya University

0784872629 [email protected] Coordinator of school and lecturer in journalism

7 Uwimana Jean Pierre

University of Rwanda

[email protected] Coordinator of GLMC and lecturer in journalism

8 Nzamwita Alex Catholic University, Kabgayi

[email protected] Lecturer of media

9 Rwabuneza Anastaze

PAX Press 0788562190 [email protected] Senior editor and experienced journalist

10 Uwineza Lillian Radio Flash FM

0788735597 Talk-show host, journalist

11 Gonzaga Muganwa

ARJ 0788586225 [email protected] Journalist, trainer on code Ethics and in-charge of secretariat

12 RBA

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Introduction to the


Workshop Report Date: _________________________ Location: ____________________ Trainer: _____________________ Positive remarks:

Negative remarks:

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Recommendations:

_____________________ ______________________________________ Date Trainers signature

Documents

Introduction to the - gc21.giz.de · PDF filePowerPoint presentation for the workshop ... 15.30 The role of RMC and ARJ ... The first sample is a simple description of the situation