KATHMANDU, June 29: The Country Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Mission, UNESCO, for Nepal Jaco du Toit, has emphasized the moral responsibility of journalists to maintain the trust of the general readers in the news content by adhering to the code of conduct.
Speaking at the 39th series of Media Dialogue organized by the Faculty of Mass Communication and Journalism of St Xavier's College, Toit suggested that journalists adopt ethical journalism to discourage false and misleading news.
Citing the UNESCO study paper 'The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists', he said the online environment is still not safe for women journalists.
Mr Speaker, Either Prove or Apologize!
At the event, veteran journalist Binu Subedi said that women journalists have to take the risk of abuse step by step. “That’s what pushed me to speak louder,” she said, “But in the end, it’s worth it.”
“In an era where social media influences public opinion more than ever, ethical journalism becomes not just a profession, but a matter of public trust. The series-xxxix is a timely invitation for our students to reflect on truth, integrity, and the courage to speak responsibly in a digital world,” said Fr. Dr. Augustine Thomas, S.J., the Principal of the College.
Chief of the Faculty of Journalism and Coordinator of The Media Dialogue, Chun Bahadur Gurung, said that journalism is going through a difficult phase due to the infection. “While journalism is in transition and going through tough times, ethics remain essential—something future journalists and communicators must take seriously,” Gurung said.
According to him, this time the theme of 'Journalism Code of Conduct in the Era of Social Media' has made the students clear about the importance of journalistic code of conduct in the digital age. Senior journalist and media expert Dr. Binod Bhattarai also interacted with the students at the program.
