Understanding Advertising and Commercials in Broadcasting Law and Ethics

In the current era, advertising has become a part of daily life. Almost every time people watch television, listen to the radio, open social media, or view digital platforms, they are bound to encounter various forms of advertising. The main purpose of advertising is to introduce specific products, services, or messages to the public. However, in the broadcasting world, advertisements cannot be created and aired carelessly. There are legal and ethical rules that must be obeyed by broadcasting institutions and advertisers. This is important so that the information conveyed to the public is not misleading, harmful, or in violation of prevailing norms. Therefore, understanding advertising and commercials within broadcasting law and ethics is important, especially for communication and broadcasting students.

Advertising is a form of communication aimed at promoting goods, services, or ideas to the public through certain media. Meanwhile, ‘pariwara’ is another term for advertising often used in the broadcasting and mass media world. Advertisements are usually made as attractive as possible to influence the public to buy the products or use the services offered. However, the content of advertisements must still pay attention to the applicable legal rules and ethical values.

In Indonesia, broadcast advertising is regulated in various regulations, one of which is Law Number 32 of 2002 concerning Broadcasting. This regulation explains that broadcast content, including advertisements, must provide benefits to the public and must not violate religious norms, decency, or the public interest. In addition, there are Broadcasting Behaviour Guidelines and Broadcast Programme Standards (P3SPS) which serve as a guide for broadcasting institutions in airing programmes and advertisements. Some things that are prohibited in advertisements include: containing excessive elements of violence; displaying content unsuitable for children; providing misleading information; containing elements of discrimination or insult; and displaying scenes that contradict societal norms. The existence of these rules aims to ensure the public receives correct information and is not harmed by advertising content.

Besides legal rules, advertising must also pay attention to ethics. Ethics in broadcasting means how an advertisement is made while respecting social norms, culture, and values prevailing in society. For example, an advertisement must not demean a particular group, use inappropriate language, or display scenes that could have a negative impact on viewers. In practice, ethics often becomes a challenge because many companies want to create advertisements that attract public attention. However, if it is too excessive, the advertisement can actually cause controversy. According to the author, ethics in broadcasting is very important because the media has a great influence on the public’s mindset. If the content of advertisements is not properly controlled, it can have a negative impact, especially on children and teenagers.

One common example is advertisements that are considered excessive in making claims about a product. For instance, health products that promise instant results without clear evidence, or advertisements that display scenes inappropriate for the broadcast time. Cases like this show that supervision of advertising is still very necessary. Broadcasting institutions, advertisers, and the government must work together so that the advertisements aired continue to provide benefits to the public.

In the author’s view, legal and ethical rules in broadcasting are still very relevant in today’s digital era. Although media has evolved to digital platforms and social media, ethical principles must still be applied. Many promotional contents currently appearing on social media lack a clear explanation that the content is an advertisement. This can make it difficult for the public to distinguish between ordinary information and paid promotions. Therefore, every party involved in the broadcasting world must have the responsibility to convey honest and non-misleading information.

Advertising and commercials are an important part of the broadcasting world because they function as a medium for information and promotion. However, in their implementation, advertisements must comply with applicable legal and ethical rules. The existence of the Broadcasting Law and P3SPS serves as a guideline so that aired advertisements do not harm the public. In addition, ethics is also important so that advertising content remains in accordance with prevailing norms and values. As communication and broadcasting students, understanding the law and ethics of advertising is very necessary as it will be a provision in the professional world later.