Commission to draft code of ethics for Labour media

A commission set up to draft a code of ethics for the Labour Party media has been given four months to come up with its recommendations.

The code was one of Labour leader Joseph Muscat's proposals, which he presented during the leadership campaign.

The commission consists of chairman Carmen Sammut, a university lecturer specialising in media, and a member of the Press Ethics Commission; Xarabank presenter Peppi Azzopardi; freelance journalist Charles Flores; the former senior deputy editor of The Times, Roger Mifsud; and former Union Press editor Joe A. Vella.

Dr Muscat forwarded the terms of reference to the commission members, telling them the code of ethics was one of his priorities because he believed the Labour media had a major role to play in the implementation of what he called a new political season for the country.

"I believe that, in this new political season, politics has to be based more than anything on the exchange of ideas, and the role of the Labour media in all this would be essential," he told the commission members in a letter.

The code will provide guidelines for the Labour media, he said.

It should lead the media to contribute to more pluralism by steering clear of frenetic partisan tactics and by becoming more accountable, while building a greater relationship of trust with its readers, listeners and viewers by increasing its credibility, Dr Muscat said.

The work on the code of ethics has to be carried out in collaboration with all the journalists, producers, presenters and broadcasters of One Radio, One TV, KullĦadd and maltastar.com, Dr Muscat continued.

The proposals should complement the code of ethics of the Institute of Maltese Journalists, drafted by the Press Ethics Commission, while the Broadcasting Authority's policies and recommendations need to be taken into account too.