(IFJ)The newly created Belgian Association for self-regulation of journalists’ ethics (AADJ) will form a Council of journalists’ ethics composed of 20 members including representatives of journalists, editors, editors in chief and representatives of civil society.

“ A quadripartite composition of the Council will avoid exclusive self-regulation that would allow journalists to be judged by their peers only”, explains Jean François Dumont, Deputy General Secretary of the Association of Professional journalists in Belgium, the union of Belgian French speaking journalists.” We want to avoid situations where journalists are judge and party in an ethical conflict”.

The Council will be responsible for issuing opinions on the handling of news in all Belgian francophone media each time an ethical issue arises.

The funding of the Association will be shared between editors and journalists.

Read PR in French: http://www.agjpb.be/ajp/communiques/aadj290609.php