An Open Letter to the Executive Chairman of Kumpulan Utusan

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Jul 31, 2009

By Malaysian Heart (member of Hartal MSM)

Tan Sri,

I am writing to express my indignation and abhorrence at your story headlined "Takdir Yasmin" on the late Yasmin Ahmad, that your tabloid Kosmo! ran on July 27th, 2009. (I justify my use of the words "you" and "your" by the fact that you are the Executive Chairman of Kumpulan Utusan. The buck stops with you, sir, and nowhere else.)

Irregardless of whether it is based on the truth or not, your article breached not only the journalist's code of ethics, but standards of human decency as well.

Since a journalist's first obligation is to seek truth and report it, why do I say that your article breached journalistic ethics? Because even if it is true, it violates another principle that journalists are obliged to uphold:

Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.

According to this principle, journalists should:

Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.
Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed.

(From the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics)

In the case of your article, you have violated this principle in at least four ways: