{"id":90786,"date":"2013-06-09T00:08:56","date_gmt":"2013-06-08T18:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=90786"},"modified":"2013-06-15T00:41:11","modified_gmt":"2013-06-14T19:11:11","slug":"ethics-is-a-traditional-homeland-without-claimants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/ethics-is-a-traditional-homeland-without-claimants\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethics Is A Traditional Homeland Without Claimants"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Malinda Seneviratne<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Malinda Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

The self-immolation of Ven Bowatte Indraratnana<\/a><\/span> Thero raised many questions.\u00a0 Whatever the late Thero\u2019s intentions may have been, it is unlikely that \u2018media ethics\u2019 or lack thereof was something that prompted the horrifying act.\u00a0 That, however, is what we are left with.<\/p>\n

The action or rather inaction of those who may have been able to prevent the tragedy, especially the journalist who was \u2018in the know\u2019 has spurred much debate on what really constitutes \u2018responsibility\u2019 for people in the media industry.<\/p>\n

At panel discussion on the subject organized by the Sri Lanka Press Institute, a young journalist Tharaka Basnayake, had asked the following question: \u2018How does citizen journalism fits into codes of ethics since almost all the mainstream media outlets encourage citizens to capture whatever they desire and with regard to Indrarathana Thero’s self-immolation, most of the ordinary citizens were busy capturing the action with their mobile phones (against their conscience)?\u2019<\/p>\n

The question is simple: \u2018Is the journalist\u2019s duty to capture spectacle or whatever is newsworthy as per the dictates of professionalism or react humanely to a situation where choice of action\/inaction can make a different between life and death?\u2019\u00a0 Put another way, \u2018Can there ever be guidelines to inform a professional when to drop professional garb and when to put on larger humane clothing?\u2019<\/p>\n

It is something we can talk about forever.<\/p>\n

The Government has found it fit, under these circumstances, to come up with \u2018ethical guidelines\u2019 for journalists.\u00a0 The Government has been fittingly lampooned in the press for the presumptuousness of the exercise, given the fact that politicians and state media personal have hardly covered themselves in glory on account of ethical behavior.<\/p>\n

The humor, however, should not stop with the Government or the State Media or even journalists in general.\u00a0 \u2018Ethics\u2019 is a rare commodity, so rare that rather than rarity resulting in high value it has reverted to the other extreme in valuation: nothing.\u00a0\u00a0 Ethics is talked about.\u00a0 It is scripted into professional oaths.\u00a0 It is tossed into advertising copy.\u00a0 It is almost as though the word would make palatable any excrement as such is dished out by the corporate world or by professional entities.\u00a0 All it takes is to say, \u2018we are ethical\u2019.\u00a0 But are we?<\/p>\n

This is the age of the spectacle.\u00a0 This is the era of instant gratification. By omission or commission this world has either embraced or resolved to submit to Mr. Spectacle.\u00a0 All that glitters may not be gold, but glitter fetches a better price than ethics in the market, let us acknowledge.\u00a0 Even crap that is glitter-clothed or worse, glitter-labeled, let us add!<\/p>\n

Is he who demands honor, himself honorable?\u00a0 Is she who demands ethical behavior herself ethical in her behavior?\u00a0 Who are the saints here?\u00a0 The truth is that \u2018ethics\u2019 cannot be legislated.\u00a0 They cannot be advertised.\u00a0 In short there\u2019s no market for ethics.\u00a0 That\u2019s the brutal fact that is being ignored in the debate.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s market is full of goods and services deliberately marked with planned obsolescence; things are made to break (sooner rather than later) with adequate caveats in the small print regarding warranties to insure the vendor.\u00a0 And what\u2019s good for refrigerators, laptops, mobile phones and iPods is good for the media too.\u00a0 It works.\u00a0 Stories are re-invented.\u00a0 A women jumps into a well with a baby and the media shares the savory details in a way that prompts another depressed individual to execute a copy-cat jump that will continue to keep the media in business.\u00a0 One story is crafted in a way that a follow-up story will result.\u00a0 So what\u2019s new?\u00a0 What\u2019s \u2018unethical\u2019 about it?\u00a0 It\u2019s just business as usual in the 21st<\/sup> Century, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

The question can be asked, \u2018isn\u2019t this how it always was?\u2019\u00a0 Yes, there were always neethi<\/em> (laws) and there were always reethi<\/em> (customs).\u00a0 The difference is that in times gone by, the latter prevailed over the former.\u00a0 The latter drew from an ethical template.<\/p>\n

The incident resulted in an interrogation of the media on the subject of ethics, interestingly by those who really don\u2019t have the right to talk about ethics.\u00a0 There cannot be ethics in isolation.\u00a0 There cannot be ethics for some but not for others.\u00a0 But laws, we know, are selective and prejudiced in favor of the powerful, i.e. those who have money or power or both.<\/p>\n

Still, that fact alone is not enough to settle for \u2018business as usual\u2019.\u00a0 Self-regulation begins with self, it goes without saying.\u00a0 We, the media, as a tribe, are but one part of society and can claim rightful share to its glories and resolve to own up to its shame.\u00a0 We could play safe and say \u2018let\u2019s see you go first!\u2019 but that\u2019s cop-out option.<\/p>\n

We cannot get anyone to pay for even a tiny advertisement pleading \u2018Let\u2019s be ethical\u2019.\u00a0 We can but be ethical, as per our sense of right and wrong, regardless of professional dictates (which too, let us not forget, are for the most part \u2018owned\u2019 by corporate prerogatives).<\/p>\n

*Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief Editor of \u2018The Nation\u2019\u00a0and his articles can be found at\u00a0www.malindawords.blogspot.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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