Draft Ethical Code for Local Television Moj TV

In her diploma thesis entitled 'Draft Ethical Code for Local Television MOJ TV', she initially focused on advertising via television and what the content of an advertisement should be. She described what journalistic ethics or the ethics of responsibility is. The significance of the ethical code of local television stations, where she analysed eight ethical codes of local television stations and abuses of the ethical code. She statistically processed the data obtained from the survey and presented the results in tabular form. I see the advantages of local television TV in the fact that it is intended for the local environment where it is based, where certain information occurs – happens.

Problem

In her diploma thesis entitled 'Draft Ethical Code for Local Television MOJ TV', she initially focused on advertising via television and what the content of an advertisement should be. She described what journalistic ethics or the ethics of responsibility is. She presented the Code of Journalists of Slovenia, which consists of twenty-seven points.

The Code of Journalists sets out the rights and relations of journalists to the public and general ethical norms. The Code of Journalists was adopted on 10 October 2002 in Izola. She listed and described the basic principles of journalists: the principle of truthfulness, the principle of fairness, the principle of freedom, the principle of humanity, the principle of stewardship.

Solution and Method

The significance of the ethical code of local television stations, where she analysed eight ethical codes of local television stations and abuses of the ethical code. Her purpose in preparing the draft ethical code for local television MOJ TV was for local television MOJ TV to have its own ethical code as well. The ethical code of local television consists of twelve articles which describe how all employees and also external collaborators who create the programme of local television MOJ TV should act.

In the event that this ethical code is adopted, both the publisher and all its employees and contract workers are obliged to respect this ethical code completely independently and without any external influence. The publisher of the code must send a report on the implementation of this code to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Broadcasting Council by the end of February of each current year. The draft ethical code was compiled in Selnica ob Dravi on 14 August 2008. Using a questionnaire, she surveyed fifty physical persons in the field – random viewers of the MOJ TV programme and fifty physical persons via the Internet.

She conducted the research in the field in the Municipality of Selnica ob Dravi in the months of August and September 2008. In parallel, her survey of fifty viewers of local television MOJ TV via the Internet also took place. In total, she surveyed one hundred physical persons.

• Advantages of local TV and their significance

Results

She statistically processed the data obtained from the survey and presented the results in tabular form. I see the advantages of local television TV in the fact that it is intended for the local environment where it is based, where certain information occurs – happens. Local TV is very important in the local community, as it supplies this local community – environment with daily notifications about events that have already occurred and informs about upcoming ones.

As the surveys showed, respondents want local TV and also support it. As many as seventy-four respondents out of a total of one hundred surveyed were of this opinion. The importance of local TV was given a total of ninety-four votes by those surveyed.

From this it is evident that they are in fact more important than one would expect. Also, to the question that journalists should not change, shorten or rework certain products, respondents confirmed this with seventy-two votes. I also see the advantage of local TV in the fact that it reports on cultural, sporting events, festivities and other events in the local environment.

Youth are also involved, cameramen, editors, computer specialists. Young and older guests come to the studio for recording interviews. Various pre-election meetings of parties, visits by representatives of various societies such as: hunting society, fishing, volleyball, football, handball, rural women's society, society for the preservation of folk heritage.

On local TV, various clubs that take place at primary school are also often presented, mentors of these clubs come to the studio and present various contents to make a good impression on young people and interest in attending these activities. Various live broadcasts are also interesting, where guests come and a conversation takes place on a specific topic and viewers can call directly to the studio and participate with questions during the broadcast itself. I also see great significance of local TV during the Municipal Holiday in the month of May.

At that time, various events take place in the Municipality of Selnica ob Dravi, which occur over a period of three weeks. Many of these events are sporting, cultural, entertaining. Some of these programmes are also recorded by their local television MOJ TV, which they then broadcast on local TV for some time afterwards.

I see the disadvantages of local TV mainly in the fact that it is difficult to compete with multinationals, as these are financed from the state budget, whilst local TV is often in private ownership. Local TV stations are dependent on the good will of the municipalities in which they are located and where they operate. Personally, I wish for even more local TV stations, as competition for multinationals is welcome.

I also see a disadvantage of local television MOJ TV in the fact that there is too little support from neighbouring municipalities, for example the Municipality of Ruše, the Municipality of Lovrenc na Pohorju and the Municipality of Selnica ob Dravi. Here I see great potential for local television MOJ TV.

Filming various municipal events during cultural holidays, sporting meetings between municipalities, various summer events. I believe that the leaders of these municipalities are still not sufficiently aware of the significance of having their own local television nearby. Here I see great potential that would still need to be developed, trained.

It would be necessary to employ various workers through public works from the municipalities, such as: media reporters 'informers' in the area of these municipalities, who would work through the municipalities and local television MOJ TV. I believe that such programmes exist where funding for these jobs could be obtained through the Ministry of Culture or through EU programmes, this would also reduce the number of unemployed in these municipalities.

• Disadvantages of local TV