Journalism needs to be rebooted to ensure its ethical standards are up to date for the digital era, argues Amadou Mahtar Ba, Chief Executive of the African Media Initiative (AMI), an organization committed to building media across Africa.

While raising capital for media development across the continent Mahtar said he was often told that the media is not ethical.

“We live in wonderful times where everybody has a voice and can transmit news and views. This puts extra responsibility on media professionals, journalists, teachers, editors and bosses,” he told delegates at the Highway Africa media conference in Grahamstown, South Africa this week.

“Ethical background and predisposition may be what separates a citizen blogger and a journalist. The future of our industry relies on rebooting journalism with ethical standards as central operating system. We need to keep our house in order and try to come up with common values instead of stereotypes.”

Mahtar believes its not just journalists who need guiding codes.

He has initiated a code for media owners and managers. Fifty African media leaders have now signed up to AMI’s leadership and governance guidelines which were launched this year on World Press Freedom Day, May 3.