Ethical Responsibilities of Australia - Essay Example

Television journalists are also the personalities seen on TV who report on sports, weather, and current events for local and even international television stations (“TV Journalist”, n.d.). They must have the capacity to think fast and improvise if needed because most of the time, the television journalists are broadcasted live on TV. In a study conducted by Nankervis (2005) in Australia, the television newsroom hirers want to recruit journalists that are “thinkers with inquiring minds.” They want to hire those who have “old-fashioned” skills of breaking news not covered in another place (Nankervis, 2005).

According to Nankervis (2005), television journalists should have the drive for news, ambition and the confidence. But behind the faces aired on television for reports or news, the personalities are bound to fulfil their job responsively. How can television journalists be said to have complied with their responsibilities? What are the responsibilities of the journalists? In Australia, most of the media journalists are members of the Australian Journalist Association (AJA), a division of Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) (“Journalist Code of Ethics”, n.d.).

The members of the association are required to obey to the code of ethics (“Journalist Code of Ethics”, n.d). . They give a practical form to freedom of expression. Many journalists work in private enterprise, but all have these public responsibilities. They scrutinise power, but also exercise it, and should be accountable. Accountability engenders trust. Without trust, journalists do not fulfil their public responsibilities. MEAA members engaged in journalism commit themselves to Honesty Fairness Independence Respect for the rights of others Australian Journalism Association also commit to obey their Guidance Clause which states that: Basic values often need interpretation and sometimes come into conflict.

Ethical journalism requires conscientious decision-making in context. Only substantial advancement of the public interest or risk of substantial harm to people allows any standard to be overridden. Giving information to the public such as news or current affairs, the journalists have the responsibility to comply with the legal and ethical responsibilities of the profession. There are instances that television journalist are prosecuted by the concerned or affected members of the society who feel that the media journalists libelled them publicly.

Thus it is the responsibility of the television journalists to familiarize with the existing code of ethics and media law where the journalists practice the profession. It is the responsibility of the journalists to know what lines they should not cross because there comes a time that the journalists may offend some people but should make sure that they did not violate any law. With the Code of Ethics guiding the Australian journalists including the television journalists, the journalists are restricted to pursue their own political agendas.

They must not alter the truth. They should ensure fairness at all times. Their reports