{"id":93053,"date":"2013-06-26T02:04:52","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T20:34:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=93053"},"modified":"2013-07-01T01:07:26","modified_gmt":"2013-06-30T19:37:26","slug":"mr-president-i-humbly-offer-that-i-can-do-no-better-than-siddhartha-gauthama-how-about-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/mr-president-i-humbly-offer-that-i-can-do-no-better-than-siddhartha-gauthama-how-about-you\/","title":{"rendered":"I Can Do No Better Than Siddhartha Gauthama, How About You Mr. President?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

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

Draft Guidelines for Media Ethics\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are days of \u2018ethics\u2019 or rather days where ethics are questioned and recommended.\u00a0 President Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/a><\/span> observed that there are those who come up with guidelines for ethical behavior in professional matters and that they themselves can violate these edicts with impunity.\u00a0 He pointed out that politicians can and do infringe but at the risk of punishment.<\/p>\n

Now it is clear that not all those who indulge in unethical (and even illegal behavior) are punished, either by the voters or in terms of the law.\u00a0 This is not because voters are themselves indulgent.\u00a0 Most often they don\u2019t have the choice, for they have to pick from among the unethical and unlawful.\u00a0 As for those who flout the law, there are those who are apprehended and those who get away, the latter usually being endowed with bucks and power, the ultimate insulators against due punishment.<\/p>\n

The President also passed the ethics ball back to the media, challenging the fraternity to revisit their own guidelines, amend where necessary or even abandon if deemed unnecessary or impractical.<\/p>\n

This Sunday is Poson Poya.\u00a0 That\u2019s an added incentive to seek succor in the word of the Buddha and the pathway to emancipation therein, namely the Arya Ashtangika Marga or the Noble Eightfold Path:\u00a0 right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.\u00a0 Of these, the first two are in the realm of \u2018wisdom\u2019, the last three refer to \u2018mental development\u2019.\u00a0 Right speech, right action and right livelihood come under \u2018ethical conduct\u2019.\u00a0 It would be useful then to discuss these in order to shed light on the seemingly vexed question of ethics, media ethics included.<\/p>\n

Right Speech<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the first principle of ethical conduct.\u00a0 Media is about words.\u00a0 And of course silences. Both can make and break, save lives and put them at risk, start wars or make peace.\u00a0 The Buddha elaborates thus: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. In short it is recommended that truth be spoken, spoken in friendly, warm and gentle manner and silence be kept when word does not add to conversation and debate.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Right Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the second ethical principle, right action, considers bodily action as form of expression.\u00a0 In essence the recommendation is to desist from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and to abstain from sexual misconduct. The terms of \u2018activation\u2019 of the principle, it is thus recommended that one be kind and compassionate, honest, respectful of others\u2019 belongings and that one keeps sexual relationships harmless to others. Plagiarism apart, the rest of the guidelines can be taken in metaphoric manner reflection upon which can enhance the ethical character of one\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

Right Livelihood<\/strong><\/p>\n

This essentially means that one should earn one’s living in a righteous way, i.e. legally and without harm to others.\u00a0 Dealing in weapons, dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), and selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs are not recommended. Again we could use these as metaphors to guide professional conduct.<\/p>\n

In general, it would appear that reflection on the possible consequences of a given act, including the act of writing, in terms of the above three frames of reference, the exercise of caution always, the deference to wisdom and compassion, makes for ethical practice.<\/p>\n

One could write a thesis on journalistic ethics or a \u2018comprehensive\u2019 set of guidelines, but it can be argued that it would all boil down to the above.<\/p>\n

Mr. President, I humbly offer that I can do no better than Siddhartha Gauthama, the Compassionate One, the All-Knowing One, the Samma Sambuddha, no less.\u00a0 I can only strive to abide.\u00a0 How about you and your Government?<\/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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