Government Must Scrap Plan on Media Guidelines

The Roh Moo-hyun administration is again under criticism for trying to muzzle the media after closing all but three pressrooms at government ministries. On Tuesday, the Government Information Agency (GIA) announced a plan to enforce press guidelines as early as next month. The controversial guidelines will take the form of an order issued by the prime minister. It is regrettable that such guidelines infringe on the freedom of the press.

Under the new guidelines, only reporters registered with the agency will be allowed to attend news briefings by government ministries. The registration system could open the way for the agency to control the media because it blocks coverage by unregistered journalists. No doubt the system will serve as bureaucratic red tape impeding freer access to information. We call on the government to scrap the plan immediately.

Besides, the government is seeking to confiscate press passes from registered reporters who do not attend briefings regularly. We believe media outlets and their reporters have the right to decide whether they attend certain briefings or not. Therefore, the government should not set attendance requirements. Reporters do not need to go to briefings that they deem unimportant for coverage. Officials must give up the anachronistic idea of roll-calling journalists.

What’s really worrisome is that the Roh administration plans to take disciplinary action against reporters and their employers for failing to follow rules on ``off-the-record’’ contents or ``news embargoes’’ set by government offices. The punitive action might include a ban on interviews with officials for a certain period and the government not giving press releases to certain reporters and their companies.

Roh’s media policymakers must have forgotten that off-the-record contents or embargoed materials are usually set by a ``gentlemen’s agreement’’ between the media and news sources. Such an agreement is made possible only when the sources request the restriction and the media accept it. It is only appropriate when applied to sensitive or confidential information related to national security, defense, diplomacy, or criminal investigations.

The agreement will not be available as long as the press objects to it. Press corps autonomously decide what sanctions will be imposed on agreement violators. Therefore, there is little room for the government to unilaterally set an embargo on certain material. Unfortunately, the administration is pressing ahead with a plan to establish a council of public relations officials from each ministry. The officials will be given the power to unilaterally set off-the-record contents and press embargoes. They will also be empowered to take disciplinary action against journalists and their media outlets.

Roh and his staff should realize that the press guidelines are none other than draconian guidelines enforced by the dictatorial military regime of then President Chun Doo-hwan in the 1980s. We urge them to immediately drop their plan and give up their attempts to control the press. They should respect democratic values and principles. The freedom of the press and free speech are essential to any democracy.