The document discusses media ethics in India. It defines ethics and media ethics, noting that media ethics includes principles like impartiality, objectivity, and balance. Media ethics are important because media is the fourth pillar of democracy and impacts public opinion. However, questions are often raised about Indian media's ethics due to issues like paid news, political affiliation, and prioritizing profits over unbiased reporting. The document concludes that adhering to media ethics around truth, public welfare, and credibility is important for Indian media to maintain its role and identity in the world's largest democracy.

1. -By Ahtesham Khan, Manas Mukul Upadhyay and Vinay Singh
-BA (Hons.) Political Science

2. Introduction
▪ India - largest democracy in the world, guarantees the freedom of
speech and expressions.
▪ Recent examples of the Media manipulation and spreading the fake news
raised the ethical concern globally.
▪ Owned by the conglomerate are the most profitable industry making
billionth in terms of economy. Internet usage allowed and enhanced the
reach maximum audience from metro cities to remote location areas.
▪ Although, Journalism ethics and codes are referred in Indian mainstream
media, but most of the time news manipulation raise the ethical,
systematic accountability and decision and protocols to the media
industry.
▪ Today’s Digital technology equipped media has gradually adopted the
editing tools from Cameras to editing machines. Digital technology
enabled the newsroom to edit within fractions of seconds or in real-time.

3. Firstly, What is Ethics?
▪ Ethic is moral rules of conduct that guide’s one’s decisions.
▪ Moral rule encompasses personal and code of conduct set by
the organisation institution or society to where the
person belongs to.
▪ Professional Ethics: every profession has some ethics
involved in it, be it the doctor, engineers, or the
journalists.

4. What is Media Ethics?
▪ Media Ethics include issues of moral principles and
values as applied to the conduct, roles and content
of mass media, in particular journalistic ethics and
advertising ethics.

5. What does Media Ethics includes?
▪ Impartiality
▪ Objectivity
▪ Fair – No hidden agenda
▪ Balance
▪ Bias
▪ Privacy
▪ Public interest
▪ Stereotyping
▪ Decency
▪ Obscenity
▪ Freedom of Speech
▪ Advertising practices

6. Why is Media Ethics important?
▪ Media - 4th Pillar of Democracy
▪ Builds trust
▪ Create Mutual understanding
▪ Limit government intervention
▪ To maintain reputation
▪ Professional Satisfaction
▪ Create unbiased scenario in Media
▪ Forms Public opinion – impact are irreversible

7. Why ethical questions raised against Media?
▪ Paid News
▪ Political Affiliation
▪ Fake propaganda spread
▪ More focus on profit making agenda
(TRP)
▪ India’s Rank in Freedom of Press
Index, 2020 – 142/180

8. Factors to avoid for maintaining Media Ethics?
▪ Partisan
▪ Defamation
▪ Contempt
▪ Instigation of violence
▪ Unnecessary reference of Caste or Religion.
▪ Glorification of Social Evils – Crime
▪ Plagiarism
▪ Media Trials
▪ Invasion of Privacy

9. CONCLUSION
▪ India is the largest democratic country and Media plays an important role to maintain
the identity and culture of the country.
▪ Media’s credibility and accountability can only be brought back by following media
ethics.
▪ Media, under the influence of its conglomeration and corporate entitles should be
adhere to its objectivity of Truth, Public welfare and Credibility.
▪ Immediate actions must be taken to stop fake news, ambush journalism, Provocative
and misleading stories.
▪ Press Council of India must maintain and take the strict actions against the media
organizations which are damaging the credibility of the press.
▪ Media should be the voice of unheard people. It must foster on the public welfare
through its coverage.