
Thirty members of the Jordanian media issued a code of ethics following their participation in the workshop, “Covering Parliament Elections.” This workshop was organized by the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) in collaboration with the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), and took place at the Dead Sea between 30 October 2007 and 2 November 2007.
This code aims to position a set of professional principles and ethics, which were committed to by the participants as they covered the Jordanian parliamentary elections.
Below is the text of this code: We, the signatories below, and the participants in the workshop “media coverage on parliamentary elections” 30/10-2/11, commit to the following:
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Bounding to what we believe and think it is the truth during media coverage, and working as much to deliver the true information.
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Performing a responsible monitoring role on the overall phases of electoral events in a way that assures observation of all transgressions of all sides and documenting the inconsistencies.
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Working on uncovering the profanation wherever occurs.
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Earnestly working on committing to ethical standards which assure neutrality, integrity, subjectivity, equipoise, and delivering information and facts and events.
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Bounding to separation of our writings and coverage in between the opinion and the news, using suitable and sound professional matrixes assuring this separation in a way avoiding ambiguity and vagueness.
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Avoiding promotion and delimitation of clear publishing policies that separate between advertisement and media, rejecting private invitations to attend closed meetings for candidates and competitors and their proponents, in addition to avoiding to visit electoral centers except for emergency cases calling for professional necessity.
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Working on providing a comprehensive database before and after the voting, which will help in providing correct information.
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Working on monitoring the candidates’ transgressions, monitoring manners and behaviors and observing violations of their proponents, supporters, and their campaign administrators evenly and justly.
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Bounding to a sole standard in interacting with the candidates and devoting equal area for each.
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Believing in the necessity of canvassing the masses added to caution of utilizing polls that would benefit some of the candidates bearing in mind the timing of introducing the polls.
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Bounding to neutral coverage supposedly aiming at the end to serve the interests of the society and the citizens.
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Approbating advanced media plans supporting the society awareness and culturing in principles and values to encourage the participation in elections and opposition of negativity and electoral silence.
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Bounding to complete neutralism and control of personal tendencies and favoritism during the coverage, along with committing to detailed and comprehensive coverage for all mechanisms and phases.
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Working on avoiding incitement and focusing on elucidating electoral programs, differentiating between advertisement interviews for candidates and those of professional considerations demand.
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Approving the prohibition of accepting gifts and presents from candidates and parties participating in the elections.
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