KBS Management Proposes Stripping Journalistic Autonomy Clauses from Broadcasting Code

South Korean public broadcaster KBS's management has proposed removing all clauses that guarantee journalistic autonomy from the new code of conduct, a move criticized as contradicting the spirit of the revised Broadcasting Act, which aims to protect media freedom and independence.

The proposed changes to the broadcasting code, which has not been revised since 2019, were discussed among KBS's programming committee members on Tuesday. Management presented a draft that completely omits articles 6 and 7, which have been in place since 2003 and address the responsibilities and duties of production managers and staff.

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We exchanged drafts. We will continue to finalize the code of conduct through sincere consultation and discussion with the staff side of the programming committee.

KBS has historically included detailed provisions in its code of conduct to protect the autonomy of its journalists, stemming from experiences with political pressure during various government transitions. These provisions grant reporters and producers the right to participate in decisions regarding programming and news, the right to refuse instructions that conflict with their professional beliefs or the truth, and the right to demand explanations for program changes or cancellations made without prior consultation. These rights were first introduced in 2003 and further specified in the 2019 revision.

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We cannot contain our anger at the revised draft submitted by the management side. Instead of improving the current code of conduct, built with the sweat and tears of our members over decades, it is a content that regresses to the level of over 20 years ago.

Management maintains that the proposal is open to discussion, with a spokesperson stating, "We exchanged drafts. We will continue to finalize the code of conduct through sincere consultation and discussion with the staff side of the programming committee." However, staff representatives are vehemently opposed, calling the proposal a "rollback" of rights achieved through decades of struggle. Five staff representatives issued a statement expressing outrage, calling the proposed changes a regression to a level seen over 20 years ago.

Behind this conflict lies the agenda of KBS President Park Jang-bum. He filed a constitutional appeal in September, reportedly believing his term would be unfairly shortened by the revised Broadcasting Act's new presidential election procedures. The programming committee, responsible for setting these procedures, was delayed for two months and only convened on the 14th, shortly before Park's parliamentary appearance. Staff representatives suspect that management's push to reduce staff rights is an attempt to extend Park's tenure.

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Given that the discussion of the code of conduct is closely related to the next presidential election process, we suspect that the management is making unreasonable demands with the goal of extending President Park's term.