Is Tunisia's media subject to bias? (Credit: Magharebia, screenshot)

Tunisia’s National Commission for the Reform of Media and Communication is calling for media outlets to follow ethical standards in the lead up to the fall 2011 election, Magharebia reported.

Commission member Hichen Snoussi emphasized the need for a “positive and neutral media” to avoid being influenced by political parties.

Further, the commission publicly called out Abdelfattah Mourou “for his appearance on a Hannibal TV  programme.” The commission claimed that Mourou, co-founder of Islamic movement Ennahda, broke “the neutrality rule” and participated in propaganda, a claim that Mourou denied.

According to Maghrebia, the National Union of Tunisian Journalists slammed media bias as well. In a statement, the union reportedly called out Hannibal TV as well as As-Sabbah and Al-Chourouk newspapers for exhibiting “political bias.”

“Journalists must be professionals and adhere to the ethics of the profession and code of honour,” the union’s president, Nejiba Hamrouni, is quoted as saying by Magharebia.

“This is not difficult, but the general framework in which we now operate is difficult and complex, and in it there is political money and publicity, especially as we are in a legislative vacuum awaiting a new press law to regulate these issues.”