Islam’s Guidelines for Muslims: A Lesson for Journalists

Abstract

Sprouting from French Revolution and UN Charter, the political nature of human rights that provide the overall shelter to freedom of speech is the center of power for the journalistic freedom. Ethics for journalists are by their very definition hinged to freedom rather than being a limiting force of check and balance. The body of literature that has evolved in the name of Islamic journalistic ethics has also not been free from biasness. It was mostly shaped in reaction to the practices of western journalistic ethics (WJE). Consequently, the full potential of the benefits built in Islam’s guidelines could not be realized. The study mainly focuses on journalistic best practices in Islam as studied by various researchers and aims at a more comprehensive list of Islamic guidelines for journalists. The study identifies salient features of Islamic guidelines that help in shaping up the societal outlook and determines Islam’s rich contribution in human enlightenment.