Professional Protection Standards for Journalists

FREEDOM to express thoughts and opinions is a human right that cannot be taken away and must be respected. The Indonesian people have chosen and are determined to protect this freedom of expression in the 1945 Constitution. Freedom of the press is one manifestation of the people’s sovereignty and an important part of the freedom of expression.

Journalists are a key pillar of press freedom. Therefore, in carrying out their professional duties, journalists receive absolute legal protection from the state, society, and press companies. To that end, these Professional Protection Standards for Journalists were created:

1. The protection regulated in this standard is legal protection for journalists who comply with the journalistic code of ethics in carrying out their journalistic duties to fulfill the public’s right to obtain information;
2. In carrying out their journalistic duties, journalists receive legal protection from the state, society, and press companies. Journalistic duties include seeking, obtaining, possessing, storing, processing, and conveying information through mass media.
3. In carrying out journalistic duties, journalists are protected from acts of violence, the taking, confiscation and/or seizure of work equipment, and may not be hindered or intimidated by any party;
4. Journalists’ journalistic work is protected from all forms of censorship;
5. Journalists who are specifically assigned to dangerous and/or conflict areas must be equipped with an assignment letter, adequate safety equipment, insurance, as well as knowledge and skills from the press company related to the interests of their assignment;
6. In journalistic assignments in armed conflict areas, journalists who have shown their identity as journalists and do not use the identity of the conflicting parties, must be treated as neutral parties and given legal protection so that they are prohibited from being intimidated, taken hostage, tortured, abused, let alone killed;
7. In cases involving journalistic work, the press company is represented by the person responsible;
8. In testimony concerning journalistic work, the person responsible may only be questioned about news that has already been published. Journalists may exercise their right to refuse to protect their sources of information.
9. Owners or management of press companies are prohibited from forcing journalists to produce news that violates the Journalistic Code of Ethics and/or applicable laws.

Jakarta, April 25, 2008

This standard was approved and signed by a number of press organizations, press company leaders, press figures, related institutions, and the Press Council in Jakarta, April 25, 2008. Before being ratified, the draft Standard for the Protection of the Journalist Profession had been discussed through a series of discussions held by the Press Council. The creation of this Standard is an implementation of the Press Council’s function according to Article 15 paragraph (f) of Law No. 40/1999 concerning the Press, namely “facilitating press organizations in drafting regulations in the press sector and improving the quality of the journalist profession.”