Documents

Support to Media in SEE
Strategy 2001-2004

1. THE PROBLEMS

A level playing field has not yet materialised. Media laws have to be implemented and enforced according to international standards. Former state broadcasters should be transformed into genuine public broadcasters. State news agencies need to be privatised. Private media have to become more competitive and self-sustainable. Associations should gain strength and foster cooperation. Regional networks have to be created in order to encourage the flow of information, strengthen the position of private media and improve professionalism throughout the region.

2. PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES

Although local media organisations have taken many initiatives, these changes cannot be achieved without political, technical and financial support from the international community.

Rather than short-term fragmented assistance, the media are in need of a collaborative effort to support those initiatives that will benefit the media as a whole in the longer run.

3. AREAS OF ACTION

Although a variety of media laws have been adopted in different countries, the implementation is regularly flawed and significant improvements are still to be made.

The international community should therefore support and enhance ongoing initiatives for media reform led by collaborating international specialists together with local NGOs. This includes assistance in legislative drafting and reform, training for government officials and judiciary in implementing new regulations and monitoring enforcement.

• The transformation towards public broadcasters depends on a strong legal framework, guarding against political interference. Ongoing issues are statutes of the public media, editorial independence, public financing mechanism and the appointment and tenure of directors and boards.

• A fair allocation of licences and frequencies is crucial to private broadcasters. However, no country in South Eastern Europe has solved all the issues regarding the application of such laws. These include the mechanisms for appointing members of broadcasting councils, the genuine and recognised independence of these bodies, the transparency and accountability of their work, the adherence to grounds on which licences were granted and action against stations operating without licence.

• Freedom of Information Laws (or Access to Information Laws) are key to ensuring transparency and accountability of governments. They are also an essential tool in the fight against corruption. Government officials and government bodies need support and training to assist the implementation of such legislation, including reorganization of information systems.

• NGOs and media organisations need expert assistance to ensure that other legislation regarding the media (Press Laws, Copyright, Defamation, Telecom, Taxation) meets internationally recognised democratic standards and stimulates rather than limits the development of independent media.

3.b) Transformation of State to Public Media

All governments in the region have committed themselves to establishing public service broadcasting services. Few governments have lived up to this commitment, especially when it comes to genuinely relinquishing control. The state broadcasting enterprises are all over-staffed and under-resourced. Generally, the technology is obsolete, the professional standard is low and so are the salaries. Nonetheless, these broadcasters remain the most influential media in most countries.

• The international community needs to continue political pressure, to ensure that transformation takes place or is continued. The management needs support for further reform of human resources and financial management. Professional and technical training should be provided for editors and journalists. A collaborative and coordinated effort is needed by the international community, local governmental authorities and local non-governmental partners – to be most effective and prevent duplication.

3.c) Support for Private and Independent Media

Many private media outlets struggle to survive, due to an underdeveloped and politicised advertising market, as well as high costs for production and distribution. Consequently, broadcasters lack the resources to produce serious programming, newspapers cannot invest in promising stories and coverage of the neighbouring countries depends on the international newswires.

If international support would focus on the transformation of the public broadcasting sector alone, many media outlets would be forced to close. The gains in pluralism, achieved in recent years with international support, would be lost prematurely. The public-funded media would feel less challenged and would see less need to transform. On the other hand, it has to be recognised that the number of media outlets has mushroomed and the market cannot sustain all of them in the long run.

• Assistance to private media should therefore be conditional. Limited to certain quality media, direct support should be provided through expert intermediaries, either from the region or internationally, who can realistically assess needs and sustainability and closely monitor the implementation.

• Indirect support could be given in those countries where (near-) monopolies on printing, distribution or paper face the print media with prohibitively high costs, low quality and limitations to reaching their full market potential. Loans to develop efficient distribution systems or support in the creation of printing facilities could help strong associations or co-operations to reduce costs for a broad range of print media. Networks of private broadcasters could be provided with funds to purchase or produce high-quality programmes.

3.d) Regional Cooperation

Although individual outlets tend to work nationally, regional cooperation can structurally improve the position and professionalism of the media, while at the same time promoting mutual understanding.

• Feature articles and television programming can be exchanged through networks, improving the coverage of neighbouring countries and providing the media with affordable content.

• Funds for production can provide the networks with high-quality programming.

• Experience with legislation, self-regulation and regulatory bodies can be shared among associations and media NGOs, helping them to push for reform.

• Training centers work together to develop curricula and conduct cross-country trainings.

• Initiatives for regional cooperation have been taken by (local) media organizations in the recent period. The international community should support the implementation and further development of such cooperation, especially given the fact that this benefits the media scene as a whole.

3.e) Professionalism

Lack of professionalism is a serious concern, both according to media professionals themselves and in the view of the general public. Double checking, following leads, applying the right of reply, using value-free wording, distinguishing fact from opinion – all obvious elements of the profession, yet often ignored in the newsroom.

Training has been considered the remedy, with mixed success.

Journalism education is generally located at universities, very academic and hardly involves practical professional training. Courses are not given by professional journalists, the faculty resembles everything but a newsroom and graduates are not up to the job.

• The faculties of journalism therefore need to structurally reform their curriculum, to include more practical elements. They have to take the initiative themselves, yet when doing so require international assistance in implementing it. Teaching material, equipment, professional trainers and cooperation with local training institutes and universities in the EU and Central and Eastern Europe are central to such reform.

Training institutes have been established in almost all countries, focusing on training for working journalists and management. The courses are both topical and general and might involve special reporting skills, editorial management and marketing. The courses are usually short-term.

• Since the emergency-need for these institutes is diminishing, they will have to develop a longer-term strategy. This might include attracting other sources of funding, further improving their quality, focusing on specialised courses and enhancing already established regional cooperation. To enable this, assistance is needed.

• Professional conduct of journalists is complicated by uncertain labour relations. Many journalists work without a (permanent) contract. Hence, the position of journalists vis-à-vis their employers needs to be strengthened.

3.f) Minorities

The level of representation of minorities in the mainstream media continues to stand in the way of a more open attitude towards minorities.

• Whilst this is not easily resolved, support should go to joint projects of minority and majority media, to programmes raising public awareness about minorities and to projects that allow journalists with a minority background to work as reporters for mainstream media. Also, cross-border co-productions between minority and majority media can serve to increase understanding and foster tolerance, while cooperation and networking can strengthen the position of minority media within countries.

3.g) Content

There is an urgent need for domestically produced quality programming, especially on important topics which due to market restraints are currently not covered.

• This can be done through documentaries or investigative programmes, yet also through soap-operas touching on issues like integration, emancipation and reconciliation.

• Support for co-productions and local productions should enable such programmes to be made.

3.h) Archiving

Archives allow the media, as well as the public, to access publications and programmes from the past decades. They contribute to contextualisation and understanding, especially when linked regionally through the internet.

• Support should be given to training of personnel, research, development of regionally accessible technology and necessary equipment.