Cyber Media Guidelines
Gresik Satu Media Website Address: www.gresiksatu.com
Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are
human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, and the
UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The existence of cyber media in Indonesia is also
part of freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.
Cyber media has a unique character and therefore requires guidelines to ensure
its professional management and fulfillment of its functions, rights, and
obligations, as stipulated in Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press and the
Journalistic Code of Ethics.
For this reason, the Press Council together with press organizations, cyber media managers, and
the public have compiled the following Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines:
1. Scope
a. Cyber Media is all forms of media that use the internet as a vehicle and
carry out journalistic activities, and meet the requirements of the Press Law
and the Press Company Standards set by the Press Council.
b. User Generated Content is all content created and
/or published by cyber media users, including articles, images,
comments, sounds, videos and various forms of uploads attached to
cyber media, such as blogs, forums, reader or viewer comments, and other forms.
2. News Verification and Balance
a. In principle, every news item must be verified.
b. News that could be detrimental to another party requires verification in the
same news item to meet the principles of accuracy and balance.
c. The provisions in point (a) above are excluded, provided that:
1) The news item truly contains urgent public interest;
2) The first news source is a source whose identity is clearly stated,
credible, and competent;
3) The subject of the news item whose whereabouts must be confirmed is unknown and/or
cannot be interviewed;
4) The media provides an explanation to readers that the news item still
requires further verification, which will be attempted as soon as possible.
The explanation is included at the end of the same news item, in brackets
and using italics.
d. After publishing the news item in accordance with point (c), the media is obliged to continue verification efforts
, and after verification is obtained, the verification results are included in
the updated news item with a link to the unverified news item.
3. User Generated Content
a. Cyber media must include terms and conditions regarding
User Generated Content that do not conflict with Law No. 40 of 1999
concerning the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics, which are placed clearly and visibly.
b. Cyber media requires every user to register for membership
and go through the log-in process first to be able to publish all
forms of User Generated Content. Provisions regarding log-in will be regulated further.
c. In the registration, cyber media requires users to provide
written consent that the User Generated Content published:
1) Does not contain lies, slander, sadistic and obscene content;
2) Does not contain content that contains prejudice and hatred related to
ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup relations (SARA), as well as encouraging acts of
violence;
3) Does not contain discriminatory content based on differences in gender and language,
and does not demean the dignity of the weak, poor, sick, mentally disabled, or
physically disabled.
d. Cyber media has the absolute authority to edit or delete User Generated Content
that conflicts with point (c).
e. Cyber media must provide a complaint mechanism for User Generated Content that
is deemed to violate the provisions in point (c). This mechanism must be provided in
a place that is easily accessible to users.
f. Cyber media must edit, delete, and take corrective action for any
User Generated Content that is reported and violates the provisions in point (c), as soon as
possible in a proportional manner no later than 2 x 24 hours after the complaint
is received.
g. Cyber media that have fulfilled the provisions in points (a), (b), (c), and (f) are not
burdened with responsibility for problems arising from the publication of content that
violates the provisions in point (c).
h. Cyber media are responsible for reported User Generated Content if
they do not take corrective action within the time limit as stated in
point (f).
4. Rectifications, Corrections, and the Right of Reply
a. Rectifications, corrections, and the right of reply refer to the Press Law, the
Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Right of Reply Guidelines established by the Press Council.
b. Rectifications, corrections, and/or the right of reply must be linked to the news being corrected,
corrected, or given the right of reply.
c. Every news item with a rectification, correction, and right of reply must include the time of publication
of the rectification, correction, and/or right of reply.
d. If a particular cyber media news item is disseminated by another cyber media, then:
1) The responsibility of the cyber media that created the news is limited to the news
published on that cyber media or cyber media under
its technical authority;
2) Corrections to news made by a cyber media must also be made
by other cyber media that quote news from the corrected cyber media;
3) Media that disseminates news from a cyber media and does not
make corrections to the news as made by the cyber media owner
and/or creator of the news, is fully responsible for all
legal consequences of the news that it has not corrected.
e. In accordance with the Press Law, cyber media that do not provide the right of reply
can be subject to criminal sanctions in the form of a maximum fine of IDR 500,000,000 (five
hundred million rupiah).
5. Retraction of News
a. News that has been published cannot be retracted for reasons of censorship
from parties outside the editorial team, except regarding issues of SARA, morality, the future
of children, traumatic experiences of victims or based on other special considerations
determined by the Press Council.
b. Other cyber media are required to follow the retraction of news quotes from the original media that
have been retracted.
c. Retraction of news must be accompanied by the reasons for the retraction and announced to
the public.
6. Advertisements
a. Cyber media must clearly distinguish between news products and advertisements.
b. Any news/articles/content that constitutes advertisements and/or paid content must
include the description “advertorial,” “advertisement,” “ads,” “sponsored,” or other words
that explain that the news/articles/content is an advertisement.
7. Copyright
Cyber media must respect copyright as regulated in
applicable laws and regulations.
8. Inclusion of Guidelines
Cyber media must include these Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines in their media
in a clear and transparent manner.
9. Disputes
The final assessment of disputes regarding the implementation of
these Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines will be resolved by the Press Council.
Jakarta, February 3, 2012
Agreed by:
JOURNALIST ORGANIZATIONS AND PRESS COMPANY ORGANIZATIONS
1. Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)
2. Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI)
3. Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI)
4. Indonesian Local Television Association (ATVLI)
5. Indonesian Private Television Association (ATVSI)
6. Press Company Union (SPS)
7. Indonesian National Private Radio Broadcasting Association (PRSSNI)
Signed
by
Bagir Manan,
Chairman of the Press Council