• Society

Press Council: The Right Track for Journalism Professionalization?

• By Teng Yalirozy
• and Ky Chamna
• April 25, 2023 11:51 AM

PHNOM PENH – Foreign journalists say it is time for Cambodia to establish a press council as the media landscape is changing towards more online and social-networks-based media. With the proliferation of self-claimed journalists who create online content without proper training, establishing a Code of Ethics to limit the spread of fake news is becoming more urgent.

Speaking at a forum of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) held on April 21, Chavarong Limpattamapanee, a senior journalist from Thailand’s biggest newspaper Thai Rath Daily, said it is already a bit late for Cambodia to set up a press council, but it could still do so as the media environment is evolving.

Limpattamapanee also raised the code of ethics as a tool to protect freedom of expression. Responsible media outlets respect the code of ethics to ensure the spread of accurate and truthful information, he said.

He added that media in Southeast Asian countries are always criticized for misconducting and violating the code of ethics. People expect the media industry to be more professional, said Limpattamapanee.

“To have and to follow a code of conduct is necessary, but the key question is who is going to regulate the code of conduct,” he said in an interview with Cambodianess.

“Some countries say the government should get involved while some say the government should not,” Limpattamapanee said.

Chavarong Limpattamapanee (R), a senior journalist from Thailand’s biggest newspaper Thai Rath Daily and Former journalist at Agence France Presse (AFP) Peter Starr (C). Photo: Ky Chamna

Former journalist at Agence France Presse (AFP) Peter Starr said that it is not too late to set up a press council.

“To my knowledge, a press council deals with a variety of issues, not just ethics,” he said. “If the media in this country think it’s worthwhile, I think they can set one up.”

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with setting up now. The time is actually good. If they think they can address some of the issues that have not been addressed. Why not?”

Starr said that larger media organizations should be able to have their own code of ethics, pointing out that in Cambodia, there are a lot of small media organizations that may not have the resources or the capacity to develop their rules for a code of ethics.

Some 60 media outlets have agreed to support the establishment of a Press Council shortly, though many details remain to be settled. CCJ would act as a facilitator and consultant with all stakeholders to examine the possibility of establishing the council.

Individually, journalists do not have enough influence to orient the entire profession towards n better respect of journalism codes. A press council, with clear attributions and a code of conduct, could improve the journalism profession.

Starr said CCJ is by far the largest and most widely respected and serious journalism organization in Cambodia. “That’s quite important that there is a code of ethics for CCJ journalists, which basically reflects most Cambodian journalists,” he said.

In ASEAN, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Timor-Leste have press councils.