Balancing Individual Privacy with Press Freedom Alan F. Weston, a privacy expert at Columbia university, once wrote: Privacy Is the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others (self information control right). In this age of mass media, individual privacy has become a casualty of Journalists’ feeding frenzy and It has become really hard for societies to determine the nature and process of information in the public domain.
In this article I reflect on the problem in Napalm’s context. Despite being a social animal, every human being seeks seclusion and solitude wealth the open mirror of society. Privacy Is Inherent In the behavior of human beings. Every human being needs autonomy, self-determination, and respect for his/her dignity. These factors inspire and compel her/him to make a shell of an individual. Privacy recognizes Individual and social entity in the society. Hence, Privacy has been recognized and guaranteed today In many countries as a fundamental right of individuals.
Privacy Incorporates, from the rights perspective, an individual’s life, residence, repertory, documents, correspondence, and private information. Due to established values of a male-dominated society, in particular, women in Nepal are more vulnerable regarding their privacy. Many traditional, cultural and religious prejudices against women emphasize maintaining women’s chastity. To save her public dignity and sanctity, a woman has to hide herself beneath the curtain of privacy. There is no dearth of laws on women’s privacy rights, though.
Special provisions regarding privacy of women are included in the Nepal law (examples include State Cases Act 2049, Mull Alan 2020 and Police Act 2012). Likewise, International instruments also have special provision regarding women’s privacy such as the four Geneva Conventions. Increasingly, as the mass media expand, the right to freedom of press is encroaching upon the personal life of individuals, often disregarding the privacy of Individuals, especially the women. Both rights? right to privacy and right to press freedom? create some real tension in modern societies.
The former seeks to limit public exposure of individual affairs whereas the latter a maximum disclosure of public affairs (and increasingly and Daly, private affairs of Individuals who are not even public figures). In this content, It is now imperative on the media to strictly adhere to their code of conduct in order to Press Freedom Law and Right to Privacy Subsequent constitutions of Nepal, including the interim constitution (2063) guarantee press freedom and the right to privacy. They include provision on compensating every citizen whose privacy is found to have been violated.
In the same way, Gal. Bizarre Main 2016 prohibits attacking individual privacy by any publication. Section 3 of the Main stipulates that the press shall not defame any reticular person. Section 8 is particular about women’s privacy. It says that any violator will be punished for “his acts, gestures, which violate the privacy of women. ” The law recognizes that the sense of privacy is a natural instinct on the part of human beings for they want to avoid any unnecessary and unwarranted intrusion in their personal lives. The concept of right to privacy developed even during the orthodox Hindu regime of the past.
It was first enshrined in the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 2047 (Article 22). The current interim constitution (article 28) as well as the interim institution (BBS 2007) also provided for this right. Interestingly, the right to privacy was not provided as a fundamental right in the constitutions of 2019 and 2015. The drafters of the subsequent constitutions realized that the right to privacy is one of the essential rights of an individual citizen. They saw its direct connection with the dignity of the individual. This understanding led to enumeration of this fundamental right in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (2047).
The current interim constitution (article 28) stipulates that except on the circumstance as provided by the awe, the privacy of the person, his or her residence, property, document, statistics, correspondence and character is inviolable Similarly, the constitution of the country also guarantees freedom of the press (article 15 interim constitution, 2063). It ensures the right to freedom of press and publication. This right was included as a specific fundamental right in previous Constitution of Nepal 2047. Freedom of the press means the right to print and publish without any interference from the state or any public authority.
The liberty of the press consists freedom from prior restraints upon publication of content. Freedom of the press also means freedom of dissemination, news and views from diverse and antagonistic sources for the knowledge and welfare of the people. The Press and Publication Act (2048), a new version of the earlier Press and Publication Act (2039), also guaranteed the constitutional freedom of the press. The Gal. Bizarre Main 2016 (such as in article 3 and 8) recognizes freedom of the press. It says that every human being shall enjoy free press, without any discrimination on the ground of race, color, sex etc. Rivalry, but there are several conventions regarding press freedom. For example, the right to privacy is enumerated in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right 1948 (UDDER). However, it does not include an explicit provision regarding the right to privacy of women. And that is true with other international conventions as Nell. The only clear provision is found in the International Convention on Elimination of All form of Discrimination Against Women 1979 (CEDAR). It is a special convention Inch urges state parties to provide equal right to women.
It stipulates that all Omen must be equally able to enjoy the rights provided by this convention. Women would be accorded dignity and honor. Ruinations’ Code of Conduct A professional code of ethics is essential in enforcing constitutional provisions and laws of the land. They provide a moral or legal compass to Journalists also. It means that all behaviors or code of conducts are enforceable by certain laws and regulations. Not following such Code of conducts means violation of rules and regulations, punishable in accordance with the laws. He code of conduct developed Jointly by the Federation of Naples Journalists (FAN) and Press Council Nepal (PC) clearly prohibits invasion on individual privacy. But if En analyze cases of press violations of individual privacy, we find the breaches of the code which regulates the behaviors of Journalists. PC received 10 complains during 2057/58 and 16 complains during 2058/59 fiscal {ear. These complaints are not explicitly related with the privacy of women. From fiscal year BBS 2049 up to 2059, a total of 113 complaints were filed at PC.
Among them 39 were categorized as defamation. The effort to compile such cases is a good step toward implementing the code. It shows a growing concern about the need to abide by the code. Rhea first effort at forming a professional conduct can be traced to the Press Commission (2015). It had adopted certain rules to foster professional ethics in journalists. The PC leadership formally articulated a code of conduct for Journalists n BBS 2025. The PC had also issued a code of conduct in BBS 2033. The code has played a significant role in providing ethical guidelines Journalists.
More recently, professionals held a national conference in Katmandu with the aim to update the code of conduct so that Journalists could be provided with relevant guidelines in a Changing society. All these codes have prohibited encroaching individuals’ right to privacy as well as fomentation. The Code of Conduct (2060) explicitly prohibits, except in cases that benefits the larger public, invasion of privacy of individuals, women or men. Limitations on Journalism visa–visa privacy laws or the code of conduct (particularly women’s rights), they may encounter ethical conflicts in their works.
If Journalists do not abide by rules and ethic, or report or write (in the name of press freedom) without regard to privacy or dignity of individuals (including women), they most likely will practice irresponsible alarmists. There are several instances of such irresponsible Journalism. One prominent case involves Shares Kari, an upcoming film artist. In 2059/6/23 the weekly Jan Shasta published an article with the headline “Film Niagara OK Ranging Rata”. The article accompanied nude photo of the actress. The case not only violated Kirk’s right to privacy but also violated her fundamental right to life.
The defaming article ultimately led to her suicide. It remains a classic case of press encroachment on an individual’s privacy and dignity in Nepal. Stigma of Privacy and Dignity Women are portrayed in various forms in our society, sometimes as benevolent or malevolent. At other times as powerful, but most often as weak and helpless. The patriarch structure of our society has rendered them as second-class citizens. They are considered emotionally as well as physically weak and are accepted to be shy, helpless and fearful. Historically and culturally, women were considered as inferior to men.
Minorities needed to be protected or patronized. Cattily, the author of Arthritis, an ancient Indian treatise, wrote that it was a kings duty to protect weaker section of the society, which included women. Women were confined to their homes as dependent on their ale members. Mann Smite, an ancient Hindu scripture, sums up the perfect role for women with this statement: A girl must be controlled by the father when she is young, by the husband when she is married and by her son when she is old. The Nepal law regarding rape stipulates that she can defend her chastity.
In the course of her defense, she may resort to a reasonable force against her assailant. Even if she kills the assailant, she is not liable for the death penalty. Perhaps the most important questions on Journalistic ethics are apparent in stories that report rape cases. Too often, Journalists sensationalist the victims, and even identify them by names while a case is still under investigation. This is the most glaring example of invasion of privacy for it adds much pain and agony to the already traumatized victim and her family members, specially in a society where rape is considered a disgrace, a stigma.
Rape cases expose the victims individual life to the scrutiny of not only the court but also the media galore. The legal proceedings take place in a camera court. The investigation of a rape case must be made by women police officers, or the position of the rape victim must be reordered at the police station in the presence of women social workers. But doing so is not possible at all times and the victim often IS often an effort at proving the virginity of the rape victim, rather than prosecuting the assailant.
Thus, true Journalistic freedom hinges on carefully adhering to the code of conduct, and an equally careful exercise of the right to information, adhering to accuracy of facts but at the same time withholding vital information on the victims, the suffering and the minors. Right to privacy is a matter of personal liberty. In deed, as the saying goes, the role of the press is to afflict the comforted and comfort the afflicted. The powerful and the public figures deserve to be scrutinized more and the weak and private citizens deserved to be protected by the media against vested inertest.
Individual privacy, as a human right, is essential for the fullest realization of innate characteristics which nature has bestowed on human beings. Such a right is necessary to ensure the dignity of every person irrespective of one’s race, religion, nationality, language, sex or any other factor. If we look at the rights perspective of urinalysis, then they may claim that they have the right to exercise their professional rights, to investigate and to report the truth.
But even individual or professional rights have to be widely recognized as such by the “Society’ for them to be individual or professional rights. There should be a balance between individual assertion and societal recognition. Introit doubt, freedom of the press and individuals’ right to privacy, both enshrined n the constitution, need to be harmonize. There is a need for Journalists to be aware of their professional ethics, emphasizing the dignity and the fundamental eight to privacy of individuals (particularly women and minors).
Journalists should find a balance between various fundamental rights. But awareness alone is not enough; they must put such ethical reasoning into practice. Press freedom is not absolute, there are and there must be some reasonable limitations to that ideal. Posted on December 19, 2011 Note: This post originally appeared at Faithlessness’s. Org, April 2011. Nepal Citizen Media: Rising Influence but Growing Pains Remain Monday, April 1 1 . At Twitter, Nepal flogger Rabin Racial complained that a news tie was stealing his blob posts and sharing them without any credit or attribution link.
He had previously expressed concerns about floggers lifting songs from his blob and posting them as their own. About a week earlier, an article posted at influential blob Mansard created quite a storm of debate among Nepal floggers. Mesh Sheerest, who writes under screen name Salary, had publicly posted email and IP address of commentators who did not agree with his view. Some cried foul, calling him move against privacy of the commentators; he has now promised to have privacy policy for the site.
This week, while working on my project, I discovered a number of floggers lifting up entire articles from mainstream sources and sharing them as their own without any credit or attribution. Napalm’s philosopher and citizen driven media is growing in size and influence but it still faces significant hurdles. Most noticeably, it is the lack of understanding on intellectual property rights and what constitutes fair use; and also absence of dialog on privacy rights off user. Citizen Media and Governance For past couple of months, Nepal has been rocked by one scandal after another.
Nile the mainstream media has covered these scandals, many have expressed Important facts have been omitted. For instance, in covering Finance Secretary Rematches Khan’s resignation and allegation of corruption with the Finance Ministry, mainstream newspaper Kantian did not discuss two important issues which raised doubts over the paper’s Independence. First one being conflict of interest situation created by industrialist Indo Chuddar who is also Constituent Assembly member representing the ruling party and has close relationship with the Finance Minister.
Secretary Khan was purportedly investigating his company, along with several others, regarding Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud. Kantian provided Chuddar space to refute allegations against his business, but did not publish the other side of the story. Second grave omission by Kantian was that while covering the scandal, their series of reports never really touched on serious allegations of misconduct and corruption Nothing the Finance Ministry.
They focused Just on the Finance Secretary, who is well- known among civil servants for his exemplary work ethic and tough attitude towards corruption, and his disagreement with the Minister. All the while it was clear that Introit delving into the allegations of misdeeds within the Finance Ministry, any discussion on the Secretary resignation does not make much sense. This serious lapse in Judgment committed by Kantian-Napalm’s largest circulating newspaper, shows that mainstream media has its limitations.
But, for good governance, citizen’s have to have access to UN-biased reporting and facts. Napalm’s growing citizen media has the potential to fill this gap. Mansard, Nepal language blob, ran number of reports on the Finance Ministry scandal, which revived an alternate view and also included some facts missed or omitted by the mainstream media. Overcoming Hurdles As I mentioned earlier, Nepal citizen media faces number of hurdles and without overcoming those, it will not be able to live to its promises.
Intellectual property rights is still an issue with limited audience in Nepal. There have been handful of instances where musicians, song writers and directors have come forward publicly and revealed that their work is being popularized or that they are not receiving their royalty. Unfortunately, due to lax implementation of copyright saws and lack of awareness among the people about intellectual property, very few have received compensation. It is unfortunate that some well-known radio and television networks are behind in paying royalty to singers and song writers. Re no laws specifically dealing with online intellectual property and plagiarism. Citizen media and floggers thus are not protected. There are a number of websites openly copying work and giving credit to the author. The problem is especially chronic among forum and social networking users. For instance this particular forum user has posted a popular pop-deed from mainstream Edie site, without any credit or link. It may not be a deliberate attempt to plagiarism, but actions like this definitely hurt authenticity of Nepal citizen media. Rivalry is another sticky subject for floggers. Just like the absence of laws regarding online intellectual property rights, online privacy laws are also lacking in Nepal. There is no clear understanding of what is legal and what is not when it comes to using data collected from the users, writers and those who post comments on blobs. A recent incident, where some internet service providers were forced to provide user ATA to the police to help investigate a criminal case, raised serious questions about privacy and data security.
Towards Strength Following the Finance Secretary scandal, some floggers gathered at Twitter and are now organizing campaign to create better working environment for civil servants. Twitter is also being used by a group to fundraise for social causes. At Backbone, there are number of groups promoting Nepal, its culture and music; and there are some demanding action against corruption. Various blobs have popped up, where literature is discussed as passionately as politics and racism.
