Freedom of opinion, expression, and the press are fundamental human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. The existence of cyber media in Indonesia is also part of the realization of these freedoms.
Cyber media has unique characteristics, which require specific guidelines to ensure its management is professional and fulfills its function, rights, and obligations according to Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics. Therefore, the Press Council, together with press organizations, cyber media managers, and the public, have developed the following Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines:
1. Scope
Cyber media refers to all forms of media that use the internet platform to conduct journalistic activities and meet the requirements of the Press Law and Press Company Standards established by the Press Council.
User-Generated Content refers to any content created and/or published by users of cyber media, including articles, images, comments, audio, videos, and various uploads attached to cyber media such as blogs, forums, reader or viewer comments, and other forms.
2. Verification and Balance of News
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As a principle, all news must go through verification.
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News that may cause harm to others requires verification in the same news item to fulfill the principles of accuracy and balance.
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The requirement in point (a) can be exempted under the following conditions:
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The news is truly in the public interest and urgent;
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The first source is clearly identified, credible, and competent;
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The subject of the news cannot be found or interviewed;
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The media must inform readers that the news still requires further verification, which will be pursued as soon as possible. This explanation should be placed at the end of the article, in parentheses and italics.
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After publishing news as per point (c), the media must continue verification efforts and update the article once verification is obtained, including a link to the unverified news.
3. User-Generated Content
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Cyber media must display terms and conditions for user content that do not contradict Law No. 40/1999 on the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics, placed clearly and accessibly.
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Cyber media requires all users to register and log in before publishing any User-Generated Content. Log-in rules will be detailed later.
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During registration, users must provide written consent that their content will:
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Not contain false, defamatory, sadistic, or obscene content;
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Not contain prejudice or hatred based on ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group (SARA) sentiments, or incite violence;
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Not be discriminatory based on gender or language, or demean the dignity of the weak, poor, sick, mentally or physically disabled.
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Cyber media has the absolute right to edit or delete content violating point (c).
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Cyber media must provide an accessible complaint mechanism for reporting such content.
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Cyber media must promptly (within a maximum of 2 x 24 hours after a complaint) edit, delete, or correct content that violates point (c).
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Cyber media that complies with points (a), (b), (c), and (f) is not held liable for issues arising from such content.
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Cyber media is liable if it does not take corrective action within the prescribed time limit.
4. Corrections, Clarifications, and Right of Reply
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Corrections and rights of reply refer to the Press Law, the Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Guidelines on Right of Reply set by the Press Council.
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These must be linked to the original article.
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Every correction or right of reply must state the time it was published.
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If a news item is spread by another cyber media outlet:
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The original publisher is only responsible for content under its own platform;
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Other media must also correct the news they cited;
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Media that republishes but does not issue the correction will be fully liable for legal consequences.
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As per the Press Law, failure to provide a right of reply can lead to a criminal fine of up to IDR 500,000,000.
5. News Retraction
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Published news cannot be retracted due to external censorship, except when involving SARA, decency, the future of minors, victims’ traumatic experiences, or other special considerations set by the Press Council.
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Other media must follow retractions of quoted content.
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News retraction must include the reason and be announced publicly.
6. Advertisements
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Cyber media must clearly distinguish between editorial content and advertisements.
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Any article or content that is an ad or paid content must be labeled “advertorial,” “advertisement,” “ads,” “sponsored,” or other clear terms.
7. Copyright
Cyber media must respect copyright laws in accordance with applicable regulations.
8. Publication of Guidelines
Cyber media must prominently display this Cyber Media Reporting Guideline on its platform.
9. Disputes
Final decisions on disputes relating to the implementation of this guideline will be settled by the Press Council.
Jakarta, February 3, 2012
(This guideline was signed by the Press Council and the press community in Jakarta, February 3, 2012.)