Ethics, Law and Responsible Media Use
What is assessed
Ethics and law questions test whether you can identify a dilemma, name the relevant principle or law, and reason to a defensible outcome. Answers must separate ethical judgement from legal obligation - they overlap but are not identical.
Core concepts
- Ethical principles: accuracy, fairness and balance, privacy, minimising harm, informed consent, independence, accountability and correction. Codes such as the IFJ Declaration and national press codes translate these into rules; the right of reply gives a criticised person a chance to respond.
- Defamation: a published statement that lowers reputation. Libel is permanent form (print, online); slander is transient. Defences include truth (justification), honest opinion, and privilege for fair reports of courts and parliament. Maltese defamation law was reformed in 2018; it remains costly to defend.
- Privacy and data: reasonable expectation of privacy, protection of minors, the GDPR, harassment.
- Copyright: protects expression, not ideas; fair dealing for criticism, review, reporting and education is limited and conditional. Plagiarism is an ethical breach even where copyright is not infringed.
- Other limits: contempt of court, obscenity, hate speech, incitement, election and broadcasting rules, protection of sources.
- Freedom of expression is protected (ECHR Article 10; Maltese Constitution Article 41) but subject to lawful restrictions.
Worked example
A website wants to publish a photograph of a 15-year-old accused of a crime. Weigh public interest against harm: identifying a minor risks irreversible harm and may breach privacy and reporting restrictions; the public interest can usually be met by anonymising the image and the name. Judge the decision, not the person.
Traps
- Believing truth is always a complete defence.
- Confusing legality with ethics.
- Ignoring minors and vulnerable people.
- Quoting 'freedom of speech' as if it were absolute.