Cyber Media Guidelines

Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are fundamental human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The existence of cyber media in Indonesia is also part of these freedoms.

Cyber media has unique characteristics that require specific guidelines to ensure professional management and to fulfill its functions, rights, and obligations in accordance with 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, has formulated the following Cyber Media News Guidelines:

1. Scope

a. Cyber Media refers to all forms of media that use the internet as a platform to conduct journalistic activities and comply with the Press Law and Press Company Standards set by the Press Council.

b. User Generated Content (UGC) refers to all content created and/or published by users of cyber media, including articles, images, comments, audio, video, and various forms of uploads attached to cyber media platforms such as blogs, forums, reader/viewer comments, and others.

2. Verification and Balance of News

a. In principle, every news item must undergo verification.

b. News that may harm other parties requires verification within the same report to ensure accuracy and balance.

c. The provisions in point (a) may be exempted under the following conditions:

1. The news contains urgent public interest;
2. The primary source is clearly identified, credible, and competent;
3. The subject of the news cannot be located or interviewed;
4. The media provides a note to readers stating that the news still requires further verification, which will be carried out as soon as possible. This note must be placed at the end of the article, in parentheses, and in italics.

d. After publishing news under point (c), the media must continue verification efforts. Once verification is obtained, the results must be included in an updated version of the news, with a link to the previously unverified report.

3. User Generated Content (UGC)

a. Cyber media must clearly display terms and conditions regarding User Generated Content that do not conflict with the Press Law and the Journalistic Code of Ethics.

b. Cyber media requires users to register and log in before publishing any User Generated Content. Further provisions regarding login procedures will be regulated separately.

c. During registration, users must provide written consent that their published content:

1. Does not contain falsehoods, defamation, violence, or pornography;
2. Does not contain prejudice or hatred related to ethnicity, religion, race, or intergroup relations (SARA), nor promote violence;
3. Does not contain discriminatory content based on gender or language, nor degrade the dignity of vulnerable individuals such as the poor, the sick, or persons with mental or physical disabilities.

d. Cyber media has full authority to edit or remove User Generated Content that violates point (c).

e. Cyber media must provide a complaint mechanism for User Generated Content that violates these provisions, and it must be easily accessible to users.

f. Cyber media must edit, remove, and correct any reported content that violates point (c) as soon as possible, proportionally, and no later than 2 x 24 hours after receiving the complaint.

g. Cyber media that complies with points (a), (b), (c), and (f) is not held responsible for issues arising from content that violates point (c).

h. Cyber media is responsible for User Generated Content if it fails to take corrective action within the specified timeframe in point (f).

4. Corrections, Clarifications, and Right of Reply

a. Corrections, clarifications, and the right of reply refer to the Press Law, the Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Right of Reply Guidelines established by the Press Council.

b. Corrections, clarifications, and/or right of reply must be linked to the original news article.

c. Each correction, clarification, and right of reply must include the date and time of publication.

d. If a news article is republished by another cyber media outlet:

1. The responsibility of the original publisher is limited to content published on its own platform or under its technical authority;
2. Corrections made by the original publisher must also be followed by other media that republish the news;
3. Media that fail to correct republished content bear full legal responsibility for the consequences.

e. In accordance with the Press Law, cyber media that does not provide the right of reply may be subject to a fine of up to IDR 500,000,000 (five hundred million rupiah).

5. News Retraction

a. Published news cannot be retracted due to external censorship, except in cases involving SARA, morality, the future of children, victims’ traumatic experiences, or other considerations determined by the Press Council.

b. Other cyber media must also remove republished content if the original news is retracted.

c. Retraction must be accompanied by a clear explanation and announced publicly.

6. Advertising

a. Cyber media must clearly distinguish between editorial content and advertisements.

b. Any content that constitutes advertising or paid content must be clearly labeled as “advertorial,” “advertisement,” “ads,” “sponsored,” or similar terms.

7. Copyright

Cyber media must respect copyright laws in accordance with applicable regulations.

8. Publication of Guidelines

Cyber media must clearly display these Cyber Media News Guidelines on their platform.

9. Dispute Resolution

Final decisions regarding disputes related to the implementation of these guidelines shall be resolved by the Press Council.

Jakarta, February 3, 2012

(These guidelines were signed by the Press Council and the press community in Jakarta on February 3, 2012.)