|
UK Section |
|
The AEJ's Media Freedom Project |
||||||
|
Freedom of the media is a cherished principle throughout Europe. It is also one that can be easily eroded, whether flagrantly or by stealth. The AEJ, with members dispersed across the continent, is well placed to keep track of how the principle is honoured in the real world, and how far it is discarded for commercial convenience or political ends. In 2006, the AEJ decided to launch the Media Freedom Network at its annual congress in Oviedo. William Horsley, former BBC foreign correspondent and chairman of the UK section, leads the project as AEJ Media Freedom Representative. Since 2008, the AEJ has had observer status at the Council of Europe's Steering Committee on Media and New Communication Services (CDMC). This committee sets norms and standards relating to the media's work and seeks to protect the media's legitimate rights in a democracy. The Committee is compiling a database of serious violations of media freedom by states. The standard is set by the CoE's Indicators for Media in a Democracy and includes violence and wrongful police action against journalists, undue editorial interference and lack of access to information. William Horsley, who represents the AEJ at the Council of Europe, is also active on its working group that aims to ensure that anti-terrorism laws are not misused to block legitimate freedom of expression. The AEJ supports the Council of Europe's 2009 anti-discrimination campaign. William Horsley has taken part in the meetings of the Group of Experts on Media and Diversity. In the general context of the Media Freedom Project, the AEJ is also closely associated with World Press Freedom Day. The Network's first achievement was the survey of media freedom in Europe, Goodbye to Freedom? This was published to great acclaim at the Dublin Congress in 2007. It was followed in February 2008 by a second survey updating and expanding on the first and, in November 2008, by a further edition based on papers delivered at the Linz Congress. All documents are accessible on the Survey page Media Freedom
Representative's report for 2008 Media Freedom
Representative's report for 2009 ________________________________________________ Report to the
Executive Committee, Athens, March 2010 By William Horsley, AEJ Media Freedom Representative Following the important success of tabling the resolution on reviews of national laws on terrorism in Council of Europe states, which was passed at the Reykjavik ministerial conference in May 2009, there are several more advances to report. In January 2010, the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE passed a Recommendation on Respect for Media Freedom to ministers, based largely on my AEJ background report delivered there in October 2009. It confirms plans for the Secretary-General and Secretariat to set up a continuous Monitoring Mechanism and database, measuring the performance of states against the 27 "Indicators for Media in Democracy" drawn up by the PACE. The Assembly especially called for the AEJ, together with the IFJ, Article 19 etc, to go on providing authoritative information on media freedom violations and attacks on media workers to the CoE. Subsequently, the Committee of Ministers issued a declaration in late January 2010, calling for better observance of the terms of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The AEJ has a chance to advance the cause again in new ways in the Steering Committee on Media (CDMC) at the meeting in Strasbourg on 4-7 June 2010, by making good use of the decision to hold special hearings on problem states and cases in the CDMC. There will also be a review of the implementation of the terrorism laws reviews in all countries in the CDMC. Also, following the Maastricht AEJ Congress of 2009, the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights told us he would welcome warnings from the AEJ of serious barriers to media freedom or cases of abuses of power or law against journalists. |
|
News 27 January 2010 – The Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation 1897 on abuse of media freedom in Europe.
Quarterly bulletins based on information supplied by professional
organisations, including the AEJ, will be published. See News
Item _____________________________________ 10 December 2009 – Journalists working in print and broadcast media in Ukraine face an alarming set of political and other pressures on their independence. Arthur Rudzitsky and colleagues wrote a special special report in 2009 and a follow-up report on 9 April 2010. In 2010, they are launching a new AEJ section in Kiev _____________________________________ 10 December 2009 – William Horsley took part in a debate to mark Human Rights
Day, broadcast as the inaugural edition of ViewPoint, the Council of Europe's web TV programme (see video). The debate
focused on internet and the violation of human rights by online means. See main AEJ website _____________________________________ 20 November 2009 – The 2009 Annual AEJ Congress,
hosted by the AEJ's Dutch Section in November, was addressed by Mr Thomas Hammarberg,
European Human Rights Commissioner. See
the text of his speech
and "Limits
on press freedom in Europe", a contribution by William Horsley to
the BBC College of Journalism blog _____________________________________ 26 October 2009 – Report on European media by William
Horsley for the Council of Europe: Council of Europe press release _____________________________________ September 2009 – An assessment of the role of media
in combatting discrimination was sent to the Council of Europe as part of its
"Speak out against Discrimination" campaign. The report, compiled
by William Horsley, covers Armenia, Croatia, Poland, Turkey and the UK. A
full account of it, with links to the country reports and a feature about
Russia, can be found on the main AEJ website. _____________________________________ 29 May 2009 – An AEJ amendment secured review of anti-terrorism laws in Council of Europe countries See News _____________________________________ This Excom is an opportunity for all section representatives to get to know more about these policy decisions, and CoE commitments on behalf of journalistic and media freedom. Also to shape future "soft laws" as texts in the CDMC. We must keep up pressure on governments and on the various CoE bodies responsible in all these areas. CoE Secretary-General Mr Jagland's office has said he may be willing to attend a future AEJ Congress as a guest speaker – a great opportunity for us.
I ask you all again to stay well informed about the AEJ's activities on the CDMC Committee and other dealings with the CoE. And to tell me, in detail and in writing, about other serious problems and concerns about media freedom in your country or anywhere in Europe. Keep using the AEJ website to follow media freedom developments. I will assist sections that want to pursue issues, or post news on the site. |
|
Media
Freedom |
||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||