Aljazeera introduces code of ethics

Aljazeera, which celebrates its eighth anniversary later this year, said it would continue to report “the ugly face of war”.

Officials, however, said unveiling the code of ethics would ensure balanced and sensitive reporting.

Waddah Khanfar, general manager of the network, said the code of ethics was a result of studying the charters of other news organisations around the world and would help Aljazeera handle the “human suffering and death from conflict zones”.

“Some people say we are taking the nightmare into people’s houses and we are putting too much blood on the screens. If we don’t report the ugly face of war, would that mean we abided by the criteria? Would we be embellishing the face of the war?” Ahmad al-Shaikh, Chief Editor, Aljazeera

Viewers would be treated “with due respect”. The channel would “address every issue or story with due attention to present a clear, factual and accurate picture,” company officials said.

With about 35 million viewers in the Arab world and an additional five million in Europe, Aljazeera is one of the most watched news networks in the world.

Speaking at the media forum on Tuesday, chief editor Ahmad al-Shaikh said it was a journalist’s duty to broadcast the destructive nature of war and the human costs of such conflicts.

“Some people say we are taking the nightmare into people’s houses and we are putting too much blood on the screens. If we don’t report the ugly face of war, would that mean we abided by the criteria? Would we be embellishing the face of the war?”

Alluni speaks via satellite

Earlier in the day, Aljazeera’s renowned correspondent Taysir Alluni spoke live via satellite from Madrid, Spain, to delegates at the media forum.

Spanish authorities are preventing Alluni from leaving the country on charges that he has links with al-Qaida. His arrest drew worldwide condemnation from journalists and media organisations.

Spanish authorities continue to prevent Alluni from travelling

Investigators in Spain have enforced limitations on Alluni’s movement for months, but have not found any evidence to back their accusations.

Despite his limitations, Alluni continues to work for Aljazeera.

He discussed in detail how Aljazeera was able to gain access and break exclusive stories during the war on Iraq.

Alluni recounted stories of last year’s war and how some Iraqis were provided with satellite phones and cameras to cover events in their respective parts of the country.

He described one particular day where he received a phone call from a source telling of civilian casualties in Basra.

That incident resulted in Aljazeera broadcasting the first images of dead and wounded Iraqis affected by what US-invading forces had called “smart” and “precision” bombings supposedly only targeting the Iraqi military.