Estonia passes Code of Press Ethics

Tallinn, Jan 29, 1998. Estonia has passed its first Code of Press Ethics which serves as the basis for the self-regulatory Press Council.The Code was launched at a Press Ethics Forum in Tallinn on January 29. At the end of the Forum, the Estonian Newspaper Association, the Estonian Broadcasting Association and the Press Council signed a statement in which they recognized the Code and approved of its principles.

The Code serves as the basis for the work of the Press Council, which is made up of representatives of seven groups: the Newspaper Association, the Broadcasting Association, the Journalists Union, Estonian Radio, Estonian TV, the Media Educators Association and the Consumer Protection Society.

The Code was initiated by the Newspaper Association, which sent out a draft for proposals to various media organizations last autumn. The Newspaper Association was the first to pass the edited version at its annual meeting on December 4, 1997.

The Code has been published in booklet format in Estonian, Russian and English.