A photograph appearing in a Fiji Times article published online (Wednesday Sept. 10 2008)covering the murder at Suva point, brings to the forefront some ethical questions.
One particular case of the issue of distressing images in Saudi Arabia, was covered by a posting by Media Channel.
Although, the Fiji Media Council (FMC), code of ethics has a brief about the issue, it does not explore the matter in-depth. Nor does the FMC measure, keep track of any violations of this code.
The excerpt of FMC code #26:
26) DISTRESSING MATERIAL
a) Editors, producers and broadcasters of news, current affairs and documentary programmes and articles should take particular care in deciding whether the inclusion of graphic detail and intensity of violent or distressful material is warranted by its relevance and add to public understanding, of the subject.
b) Special consideration must be given before publication or transmission of particularly disturbing, images including:
1) Torture or ill-treatment of people or animals
2) Close-ups of dead or mutilated bodies
3) Images of people in extreme pain or on the point of death
4) Violence or ill treatment of children.
The exact subject on how to treat images , is contained in an interesting book, titled "Images in Ethics Codes in an Era of Violence and Tragedy" and should be considered, a must-read for the print media industry in Fiji.
Another obscure local media organization, Fiji Media Watch is supposedly a watch dog on these issues, but it seems to being enjoying its charitable organization status more than its primary role/mission; by virtue of the non-existing case studies or publications focusing exclusively on the media industry.
While the Fiji Media Watch website claims to be monitoring the media, what good does it do, if the organization keeps those observations and analysis under wraps?
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