In a press release made public on Thursday, the HACA claims to have followed the various developments in relation to the legal prosecution of individuals in a case of “fabrication of a fictitious crime, contempt of a constituted body and dissemination of false information during participation in a radio show.
Taking into consideration the principle of presumption of innocence which considers that any suspect or accused of a crime is presumed innocent until his conviction is confirmed by a judicial decision, the HACA recalls certain principles governing radio services and television, particularly in the context of their responsibility for preserving the security of citizens.
“These principles, which are based both on the philosophy and the spirit of the Constitution, the legal and regulatory provisions in force and the normative accumulation achieved thanks to the action of the High Authority in this matter, in no way affect to the editorial freedom of audiovisual operators, on the contrary, respect for these principles contributes to the preservation of this freedom which constitutes the foundation of media practice and the right to information”, notes the High Authority.
In this regard, the HACA considers that “the establishment by the legislator of the principle of editorial responsibility for radio and television services and the duty of broadcast control, is not an objective in itself. It is rather a means of preserve the right of the citizen, listener and viewer, to access to vigilant, safe and trustworthy media content, which is not contradictory with the principle of freedom of audiovisual communication and freedom of choice of operators in terms of animation style and production of their programs”.
The HACA constantly ensures that the honesty and integrity of information and programs are respected, both in terms of editorial content produced and presented by radio and television professionals and in terms of collection and the dissemination of citizens’ testimonies. The ultimate objective of the regulator’s action when it intervenes to prevent the misleading of the listener/viewer with regard to both the veracity of the information broadcast and the identity and quality of the persons interviewed is to extend the benefit of quality information consistent with professional ethics, notes the same source.
The HACA wishes to emphasize that the principles and mechanisms of self-regulation as defined by the specifications of audiovisual operators are in no way “a regulatory luxury”, noting that these principles are an important means, among others, for consolidation of the culture of regulation.
This is why the HACA urges all audiovisual operators to redouble their efforts in this area, in order to promote responsible media practice and to help limit the impact of certain harmful actions inherent in the unregulated digital space and which sometimes have serious repercussions in real space.
The HACA considers that the reminder of the principles and purposes of responsible radio and television practice is an integral part of its educational mission which it exercises in complementarity with its normative skills, a mission which is clearly distinguished from the prerogatives of other institutions and of which the aim is to strengthen citizens’ trust in the media.