Africa-Press – Namibia. Media organisations must fully comply with codes of ethics to protect democracy, human rights, and access to information, Media Ombudsman, Sadrag Panduleni Shihomeka has said.
“Full compliance with the code of ethics and conduct by media and journalists is essential, because non-adherence can temper or infringe on the basic values of democracy, press freedom, human rights and access to information,” he said.
Shihomeka was speaking in Windhoek at a media workshop hosted by the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) on Friday.
The event focused on strengthening media relations, improving economic and industry data reporting, enhancing understanding of media ethics, and building constructive relations between media and management.
Shihomeka warned that ethical lapses risk damaging professional and public confidence.
“Non-adherence leads to confusion, mistrust, and disharmony. The media has the potential to destroy a society if ethical standards are ignored,” he said.
He outlined the ombudsman’s role as investigating complaints from the public, reviewing editorial decisions, and recommending remedies such as corrections, retractions, or apologies.
“The media ombudsman is there to guide, advise, correct, redirect, and empower the media. We are not there to manage newsrooms, but to ensure ethical journalism is practised,” he said.
Complaints may relate to privacy breaches, discriminatory content, hate speech, propaganda, or factual inaccuracies. These are resolved through conciliation, adjudication and appeals when required, he said.
The ombudsman’s work is guided by national and international instruments.
“We use the code of ethics and conduct for print, broadcast, and online media, relevant national policies such as the Data Protection Act and Communications Act, as well as the African Union’s media self-regulatory mechanism,” he said.
He also highlighted challenges, particularly limited funding for public awareness programmes and urged broader participation in self-regulation.
“I call on media houses not yet part of the Editor’s Forum to join, so that together we shape and strengthen our profession.”
The workshop brought together journalists, regulators and financial sector representatives.
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