Code of ethics for the Association of Journalists of Kyrgyzstan, passed at the conference ‘Legislative Base of Mass Media and Freedom of Speech in Kyrgyzstan,’ on 22 September 1999, in Bishkek.

PREAMBLE
The journalist’s duty is to serve the truth. The role of mass media is to look for the truth. The responsibility of state power is to provide guaranteed conditions for this activity. The most important feature of democratic society is the citizens’ right to receive information about the basic facts and events of life. Based on these ideals, we claim the following principles as the foundation of our professional ethics;

1. To defend freedom of speech in any situation and protest against any attempt to introduce censorship or pervert and falsify information.

2. To provide accurate and impartial information and guarantee self-critical corrections and apologies in case of its unreliability.

3. To relay to readers, listeners, and the audience comprehensive information, photographs, and video recording if there is a public interest for problems covered and social importance of confidential information, which sources cannot be published.

4. Not to allow falsification of the truth in favor of commercial-advertising, clan-party, or mercantile-career interests.

5. Not to allow publication of materials with elements of racial, sexual, religious, national, or political discrimination.

6. Not to use information obtained in the process of journalist work for personal benefit

7. To condemn plagiarism in all its forms and promote the protection of the author’s rights in all spheres of creative activity.

8. To respect the honor and dignity of people who become the target of journalists’ investigation and to strictly observe the principle of presumption of innocence.

9. To present a unity when defending the principles of freedom of speech and press, as well as the rights of mass media and journalists.