“Self-regulation by the media is a means of reducing influence by the State and other sectors of society over media content,” said Volodymyr Ariev (Ukraine, EPP/DC) when presenting his report on “Media responsibility and ethics in a changing media environment” to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media. “In view of the exponential growth in Internet-based media and the related changes in the internal structure of media outlets, media outlets should be a primary factor for defining and upholding the professional standards of their staff as well as those contributing to their media content. Media outlets should establish corporate codes of ethics and media ombudspersons as well as mechanisms for complaints or other reactions by their readers, listeners or viewers with regard to compliance with such corporate codes”, he said.
http://www.assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/News/News-View-EN.asp?newsid=5639&lang=2&cat=21
Media responsibility and ethics in a changing media environment