Balanced health news reporting and practice of journalism profesional code of ethics in Malaysia

Abstract EN

Incomplete health information, misleading and incomprehensible facts can create a risk to the public.

being responsible, fair and reporting the truth is a fundamental principle of a journalist and is also a shariah claim.

as such, this qualitative study focuses on the practice of Malaysian journalistic professional ethics in health news reporting.

the findings reveal a new concept of news reporting among health news journalists, namely civic-oriented journalism.

the concept is capable to producing a balanced health story.

therefore, this study urges that civic-oriented journalism practices need to be strengthened in the planning of developing health literacy in the community.