CYBER MEDIA GUIDELINES
PRESS COUNCIL REGULATION
GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE MEDIA REPORTING
Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.
The existence of online media in Indonesia is also part of the freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.
Online media have unique characteristics that require specific guidelines so that their management can be carried out professionally, fulfilling their functions, rights, and obligations in accordance with Law No. 40 of 1999 concerning the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.
Therefore, the Press Council, together with press organizations, online media managers, and the public, have formulated the following Guidelines for Online Media Reporting:
1. Scope
a. Online Media refers to all forms of media that use the internet platform and carry out journalistic activities, and that meet the requirements set forth in the Press Law and the Press Company Standards established by the Press Council.
b. User Generated Content refers to any content created and/or published by users of online media, including but not limited to articles, images, comments, audio, videos, and other forms of uploads attached to online media, such as blogs, forums, and reader or viewer comments.
2. Verification and News Balance
a. In principle, every news item must go through a verification process.
b. News that could potentially harm another party must be verified in the same publication to meet principles of accuracy and balance.
c. The provisions in point (a) may be exempted under the following conditions:
1) The news truly contains urgent public interest;
2) The primary news source is clearly identified, credible, and competent;
3) The subject of the news to be confirmed cannot be located and/or interviewed;
4) The media provides an explanation to readers that the news still requires further verification, which will be pursued as soon as possible. This explanation must be placed at the end of the same article in italics and in parentheses.
d. After publishing a report as referred to in point (c), the media must continue efforts to verify, and once verification is obtained, the results must be included in an updated (revised) article with a link to the unverified version.
3. User Generated Content
a. Online media must provide clear terms and conditions for User Generated Content that do not conflict with Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.
b. Online media must require users to register as members and log in before they can publish any form of User Generated Content.
c. During registration, the media must require users to give written consent that their content will not:
1) Contain false, defamatory, violent, or obscene material;
2) Contain prejudice or hatred related to ethnicity, religion, race, or intergroup relations (SARA), or encourage acts of violence;
3) Contain discriminatory material based on gender or language, or demean individuals who are weak, poor, ill, or physically/mentally disabled.
d. Online media has absolute authority to edit or delete User Generated Content that violates point (c).
e. Online media must provide a mechanism for users to report User Generated Content that violates these provisions, and this mechanism must be easily accessible.
f. Online media must edit, delete, and correct any reported User Generated Content that violates point (c) as soon as possible, and no later than 2 x 24 hours after the complaint is received.
g. Online media that comply with points (a), (b), (c), and (f) are not liable for any issues arising from content that violates point (c).
h. Online media are responsible for reported User Generated Content if no corrective action is taken within the specified time frame as stated in point (f).
4. Corrections, Clarifications, and Right of Reply
a. Corrections, clarifications, and rights of reply shall refer to the Press Law, the Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Right of Reply Guidelines established by the Press Council.
b. Corrections, clarifications, or rights of reply must be linked to the article being corrected or clarified.
c. Each correction, clarification, or right of reply must include the time and date of publication.
d. If an article from one online media outlet is republished by another outlet, then:
1) The original media outlet is responsible only for content published on its own platform or under its direct technical control;
2) Corrections made by one online media outlet must also be carried out by any other outlet that has republished or quoted the article;
3) Any media outlet that republishes content from another source but fails to apply corrections accordingly shall bear full legal responsibility for any resulting consequences.
e. In accordance with the Press Law, an online media outlet that fails to serve a right of reply may be subject to criminal penalties, including fines of up to IDR 500,000,000 (five hundred million rupiah).
5. Article Retraction
a. Published articles cannot be withdrawn due to external censorship, except in cases involving SARA (ethnicity, religion, race, intergroup), decency, the protection of minors, the traumatic experiences of victims, or other special considerations determined by the Press Council.
b. Other online media must follow the retraction of a quoted article from the original source.
c. Article retractions must include a clear reason and be publicly announced.
6. Advertising
a. Online media must clearly distinguish between news content and advertising.
b. Any article or content that constitutes an advertisement or paid content must be clearly labeled as “advertorial,” “advertisement,” “ads,” “sponsored,” or any other term indicating paid content.
7. Copyright
Online media must respect copyright laws in accordance with the prevailing legislation.
8. Publication of the Guidelines
Online media must publish these Guidelines for Online Media Reporting clearly and accessibly on their platforms.
9. Dispute Resolution
Final judgment regarding disputes arising from the implementation of these Guidelines shall be resolved 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.)