2 March 1999
PRESS CODE COULD LIMIT FREEDOM
On 25 February, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) criticised the draft press code proposed by the Independent Media Commission of Bosnia-Herzegovina (IMC), saying it could be used to restrict journalists. The IFJ said it was "too proscriptive and failed to provide journalists with an adequate basis for resolving ethical problems." IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said, "The draft code is full of ambiguous and vague provisions, which could easily be used to restrict free journalism." He continued, "The code tells journalists 'not to offend broad sections of the public.' Some of the best journalism we know does precisely that and generates public debate which can bring about positive change. One must wonder why the international community wants to keep Bosnian journalists from doing the same?" Moreover, White said, the definition of "the public interest... was restricted to actions that expose crime, protect public health and prevent the public from being misled.... This excludes a wide range of information which the public is entitled to know," including corruption by public officials.
The IMC, an international body established by the Office of the High Representative, launched the code at a seminar sponsored by the Council of Europe late last year. The text lists the IFJ as a reference, however the IFJ says it was never consulted over the proposed text and disassociates itself with it. The IFJ and its four journalists' organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted their own charter of principles for the conduct of journalism last October, which White called "a good base for establishing self-regulation in Bosnian media." He concluded by saying that the IFJ hopes "the IMC and the Council of Europe will use it and will recognise that codes of conduct work best if they are elaborated by the media professionals themselves."
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