Broadcasters' Declaration
Introduction
 WEMF,
Geneva 9 December 2003
"A capacity to communicate the richness of thought and
feeling is uniquely human. This capacity was refined and facilitated in
the 20th century by the media of radio and television, which will be even
more important in the information society.
Free and independent media are essential to democratic principles and
practices. Broadcasting open to pluralism of opinion and cultural diversity
offers the widest public access to the knowledge, education and information
required by an active citizenry.
It is my privilege to present this Declaration of the World Electronic
Media Forum to the Secretary General of the United Nations. This declaration
reflects the collective view of the world's public and private broadcasters.
We kindly ask you to communicate it to the heads of state and government
attending the World Summit on the Information Society. Thank you Mr. Annan."
Arne
Wessberg
President
European Broadcasting Union
Download the Declaration
Full text of the Declaration with comments from the world's main regions
World Summit on the Information Society
Broadcasters' Declaration
Convinced of the key role of public and private broadcasting,
including digital and enhanced broadcasting in the years ahead, in bringing
about an information society in which all citizens are included and can
participate,
Stressing broadcasters' commitment and contribution to such fundamental
valuesas freedom of expression, access to information, media pluralism
and cultural diversity,
Believing that the information society should be founded on the principles
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in particular
Article 19, on the fundamental right to freedom of expression,
The World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), comprising regional Broadcasting
Unions representing the leading radio and television organizations throughout
the world, hereby put forward the following principles and objectives:
- Communications technology is not an end in itself; it is a
vehicle for the provision of information and content
By definition, the term "information society" refers to the importance
of information and content for the public. Communication should also
involve understanding, tolerance, respect and inter-cultural enrichment.
Comment by Peter Matlare, Africa
- Freedom of expression, freedom and pluralism of the media
and cultural diversity should be respected and promoted
Freedom of expression, pluralism and cultural diversity are fundamental
values and objectives which should underpin the media system and the
information society as a whole, not least in the context of globalization.
Comment by José Roberto Marinho, Latin America and
the Caribbean
- The electronic media have a vital role to play in the information
society
The media have a vital role in producing, gathering and distributing
quality content within the information society. Individual communication
has its limits. Communication to the general public will continue to
be essential for, inter alia, selecting and interpreting information
and placing it in its proper context, and to serve as a platform for
the exchange of information and ideas.
Independent broadcasting services at the national and regional levels
play a major role in providing unbiased information, safeguarding media
pluralism and contributing to cultural diversity, particularly through
the promotion of local/regional culture and audiovisual production,
making full use of the various technical means offered by the information
society.
In many parts of the world, independent public service broadcasting
has a special responsibility in this regard. Distanced from political
and economic pressures, it has the role of ensuring access to information,
knowledge, culture and entertainment for all citizens, including vulnerable
and minority groups and of being a driving force for the creation of
domestic content.
Commercial broadcasting, whether funded by advertising or subscription,
contributes to the delivery of key policy goals such as the production
of original and varied content and the existence of a plurality of news
sources. In addition, other forms of legally established and non-profit
media, operated for local communities, can play an important part by
serving women, youth, indigenous people, children and minority groups.
Comment by Fritz F. Pleitgen, Europe
Comment by Fred Cohen, North America
- Television and radio are crucial for ensuring social cohesion
and development in the digital world
The future is not only "on-line". Providing both information and entertainment
to all, radio and television are closely linked to the daily life of
everyone, and they will retain their unique level of presence, existing,
in many countries, in virtually every home. They have huge digital potential
for, for instance, the distribution of multimedia content.
Especially for the developing countries, traditional radio and television
will continue to be the most effective way of delivering high-quality
information on, for example, health-care and education, of combating
illiteracy, of debating issues of general interest and of promoting
a culture of peace. These media need to be strengthened to be able to
reach out to everybody. Moreover, poor, remote communities cannot be
made part of the "wired" generation without a significant improvement
in their living conditions.
Comment by Katsuji Ebisawa, Asia and Pacific
- Information should remain accessible and affordable to every
one
Access to information is a fundamental human right. The reception of
broadcast services therefore needs to remain accessible and affordable
for citizens, and broadcasters must have access to events of interest
to the public. The new opportunities offered by the information age
should also be at the service of the whole range of communities. Free-to-air
broadcasting, and especially broadcasting with universal coverage, are
important means of achieving this objective. If new electronic media
are to achieve the same objective, open and interoperable platforms
are essential.
Comment by Hassan Mohamed Hamed, Arab World
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Statements from broadcasters representing the world's main regions:
Peter
Matlare, for Africa
Comments on Article 1 of the Broadcasters' Declaration.
I was asked to comment on the first paragraph of the Broadcasters' declaration,
a section which states that information technology is not an end in itself,
but rather a means to an end. Clearly the secret is in the content - the
information that validates, that brings to life the technology, and not
the other way round. …. I thought about the business we are in and the
range of people we serve. I also thought about universality and the role
that content and technology play in universality.
The British historian Arnold Toynbee divided the history of the human
race into three phases. Very briefly and simplistically:
During the first phase, the growth of knowledge and its dissemination
were extremely slow. Every development and every idea could spread everywhere
before the next phase began. Consequently, societies developed virtually
in tandem and had much in common. The second phase, lasting several thousands
of years. It saw knowledge increasing much faster than the means of disseminating
it. As a result, societies became increasingly divergent in every area.
In the third, fairly recent phase, knowledge has advanced rapidly. But
communication has become even faster. The upshot is that societies are
becoming less and less disparate.
Now, in the 21st century, we are subjected to the global, concentrated,
uncontrollable interchange of information. The swift, inescapable transmission
of knowledge has led us increasingly in the direction of universality
or globalisation, causing profound alteration in perceptions and behaviour.
Every distinguishing characteristic of societies, and the boundaries between
them, are coming under pressures aimed at diminishing and obliterating
them. This has had an equally fundamental effect on how we see ourselves
with regard to our personal and national identity.
We accept some of these things as inescapable, some as advantageous. But
we balk at threats to crucial elements of our identity: things such as
our language, religion, cultural symbols, and independence. Never have
people everywhere had more in common. Yet never have we been more motivated
to assert our differences. We are faced with the dichotomy of a desire
for universality and a need for identity. Technology can be, and must
be, an enabling factor in this quest.
As residents of the "global village", we can make a significant contribution,
but only if we maintain our identity as Africans and global citizens.
We have to recognise that 'universality' does not equate with uniformity'.
We should recognise our identity in part as members of the human community,
but without sacrificing our singularity as Africans. Through visible symbols,
we need to make the effort to show that we identify with what we see around
us; that we recognise ourselves in the images of our countries. We have
to show that we are involved and not merely spectators, watching apprehensively
from the sidelines.
The onus on us as Africans of this generation is not just to have a vision
of our future, but to have practical plans, route maps and signposts to
mark our progress and demonstrate success.
Clearly technology has - and will - play a significant part in allowing
us as Africans as global citizens to take this rich content that we have
developed for centuries and make it relevant to all.
Digital cameras, digital edit suites and digital playout systems are a
means to make this a reality. The investment in these systems is futile
if we can not tell our stories, if we cannot bring into your homes that
which is relevant. In South Africa right now, more than 100 000 high school
pupils are waiting for their end of year results. These results will be
published in the papers and at their schools. However they will be able
to hear it first on an automated phone line set up by the SABC for this
purpose. The pupil dials the phone number, keys in a unique exam code
and instantly finds out her results. It is great for the system technology
works. But it is the results that count…The content.
Whilst international agencies will provide news stories about the World
Summit for the Information Society, we have gone to considerable effort
to ensure that our audiences back home will have a picture of the proceedings
and hence its relevance to them. The fact that we are using web based
services to get our pictures would be of little consequence if we were
not convinced of the relevance of the material.
For these reasons, we feel that Paragraph One of the WSIS Broadcasters'
Declaration correctly emphasises the importance of information and content
above that of technology.
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José
Roberto Marinho, for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Comments on Article 2 of the WSIS Broadcasters' Declaration.
Freedom of expression and pluralism of ideas and opinions depend on the
existence of different forms of media. None of them should be subject
to censorship or coercion. Nor should they have their editorial decisions
dictated by any centralized entity. They should be able to freely vent
their different views of the world.
For this situation to prosper, the co-existence of different types of
media organizations is essential. These may be in the form of private
companies, not-for-profit organizations and state-owned companies. There
should also be a mix of large and small entities, some of them having
an international focus, and others targeting national, regional or local
communities. Only media diversity, with different economic purposes, coverage
and size, is going to guarantee the diversity of content and opinion as
well as assure opportunities of choice for the public. After all, the
public should ultimately decide what they want to see, hear and read.
Therefore, media freedom and content diversity are conditions for freedom
of choice and opinion. However, today, we are living a paradox: never
before has the world offered such a wide diversity of media options. And
never before has there been such a great risk of communication becoming
so globally concentrated.
The globalization of communication creates both opportunities and threats
at the same time. It creates new options for the individual to be informed,
educated and entertained. It creates possibilities for cultures to be
seen as well as to be enriched through a constructive cross-fertilization.
However, if the enormous economic power wielded by the major transnational
media groups is used in an unbalanced manner, we risk becoming a divided
world between content producers and consumers. And that translates into
a loss of cultural identity and the creation of excluded groups in countries
with smaller or weaker economies, not to mention a leveling down and sapping
of intellectual life as a whole.
In the past, the greatest threat to the freedom and pluralism of the media
came from authoritarian governments in many countries. Currently, this
same threat (which still exists) has been added another: the need for
balance in relation to the power of the global media organizations. This
threat has escalated with the convergence of the media and telecommunications
companies. One of the most important challenges we increasingly face is
to ensure that the diversified content of media companies can flow freely
along the content distribution channels.
For this freedom to be guaranteed, we have to distinguish between communication,
a social fact, and distribution, a physical infrastructure. The latest
technological facilities and convergence in the media sector cannot blind
us to the different needs, concerns and regulations which should govern
each one of these fields. Telecommunication and content distribution channels
are services and tools that create enormous possibilities for well-being
and an improved quality of life.
Social communication is the content which travels along these channels
and which transforms this possibility into reality. Distribution is the
body while communication is the soul of society. Distribution channels
are commodities, while communication is a cultural asset of immeasurable
strategic value to the people. Both industries must act together, without
one dominating the other. Communication without distribution is a show
for the few, bringing no benefit to the population at large. On the other
hand, a situation whereby telecommunication companies control content
and social communication mean the shortest route to monotone thinking
and the loss of national cultural identity.
There are three conditions for the free media to prevail nowadays. First,
international media giants cannot offset national and local media. Second,
a rich portfolio of media options should be available for to public, with
no centralized guidance. Third, telecommunication companies should not
be allowed to control media companies.
At the end of the day, a free media must provide each citizen with both
a mirror and a window. In other words, like a mirror, it must ensure that
each one has the right to recognize him- or herself in what is seen, heard
and read. This engenders a feeling of belonging to society. At the same
time, like a window, it must broaden horizons, allowing each and everyone
to live new experiences and see beyond his or her own particular world.
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Fritz
F. Pleitgen, for Europe.
Comments on Article 3 (paragraphs 1-3) of the WSIS Broadcasters' Declaration.
Article 3 of the common platform of the World Broadcasting Union speaks
about the vital role that electronic media in general, and broadcasting
in particular, will play in the information society. In this new era,
all of us will communicate individually via the Internet - thus in a somewhat
isolated way. But we will also need overviews of what else is happening
in the world and explanations as to why it is happening.
In the knowledge society, we will be more dependent on information than
ever before in human history. At same time, the need to develop individual
professional expertise will grow ever greater. However, the more people
become experts in one small area of human knowledge, the less capacity
they have to follow other developments. This means they will need to depend
more on trusted agents to provide them with this information in a reliable
and easily understandable way.
Speaking to you from the perspective of Director General of a large independent
German public service broadcasting organisation and as a journalist, I
can testify that this is what we are mandated to achieve: Our role is
one of a trusted agent. Through our radio and television programmes we
aspire to bring the world to our listeners and viewers whereever they
are, whatever their personal background, and whatever their economic means.
However, this kind of task brings with it great responsibilities. Television
is a powerful communications tool. It disseminates compelling images and
important messages for 24 hours a day to millions of people. This is why
independent broadcasting services are so important: Distanced from political
and economic pressures, i.e. independent of either media moguls, giant
corporations, or governments, and with public instead of private funding,
our public service mission requires us to provide unbiased information.
It also requires us to contribute to cultural diversity through informational,
educational, cultural, as well as entertainment and sports programmes.
We are expected to reflect vulnerable and minority interests in our programmes,
promote indigenous productions, and generally guarantee access for every
citizen in society to a wealth of high quality information, knowledge,
culture, and entertainment.
Europe, we refer to independent broadcasting services with such missions
as public service broadcasting. This signifies that our programmes are
considered to be in the general public interest. We are not providing
a commercial service which is simply determined by the market laws of
demand and supply. In Europe, this public service is legally safeguarded
in a special amendment to the Treaty of the European Communities, because
we believe that public service broadcasting plays a vital role in the
freedom of speech, media pluralism, cultural diversity, and democracy
as a whole. In order to ensure that we properly fulfil our public service
remit, independent representatives of the general public control our activities
through so-called broadcasting councils. This makes us accountable to
the citizens for what we do as public broadcasters.
We in Europe are convinced that public service broadcasting can serve
as a model for the information society. With media concentration ever
growing, and globally marketed audiovisual content flooding our television
screens, we will be needed, perhaps more than ever before, to be the trusted
information agents for our citizens, to contribute to cultural diversity,
and to help safeguard media pluralism.
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Fred
Cohen, for North America.
Comments on Article 3 ( 1-2-4 ) of the WSIS Broadcasters' Declaration.
Today's gathering of the World Electronic Media Forum is an important
step in helping to define the guiding principles as we move forward in
the electronic age. The role of the broadcasters in the information society
is constantly changing and evolving. Keeping abreast of the latest developments
and applications of the communications media is a 24- hour, seven-day-a-week
task. We are, indeed, in the digital world.
And yet as broadcasters and media professionals, we have an extremely
important role to play in helping ensure that quality content is provided
to the many diverse publics on all levels. We must help bridge the gap
between the haves and have nots. However, convergence of media - whether
satellite, television, computers, personal video recorders, PDA's, digital
audio, bio-information technology, the list goes on - does not mean in
the United States or elsewhere there should be requisite convergence of
opinions or attitudes delivered by the media. A healthy and respectful
diet of diversity of news, information, education, and entertainment helps
to ensure the future growth of the information society. For without that
diversity from all sources on the international, national, and local level,
we will have failed our public responsibility as broadcasters.
A diverse mix of content from commercial and public service broadcasting
(both radio and television), cablecasting, satellite, internet, wire or
wireless to all publics on an equal access basis is essential in the information
age. This will require significant investment from both private and public
sources as the new information infrastructure and content platforms are
f urther developed to meet the needs and interests of all peoples throughout
the world.
However, as broadcasters, there can be no more important investment that
we can make than to invest in the education and development of the creative
talents, media expertise, and integrity of our young children. They are
the future of the digital age. Whether on the national, international,
and increasingly local level, we must assist in the education and training
of the next generation of broadcasters, journalists and digicasters. They
will be responsible for the creation and delivery of the content for the
new digital age. And that content, like the faces of our future broadcasters,
must respect and honour the cultural diversity in both the workplace and
on the TV screens around the world.
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Katsuji
Ebisawa, for Asia-Pacific
Comments on Article 4 of the WSIS Broadcasters' Declaration.
Broadcasting is a form of culture that has made constant progress since
its birth in the 20th century, incorporating the most advanced technologies
of the times. Assimilating technological benefits, radio has enhanced
its services, while television has evolved from black and white to colour
broadcasting, and further to "Hi-Vision" HDTV broadcasts. Now, the world
of broadcasting is faced with a sweeping transformation from analogue
to digital services.
This digitalization of broadcasts is a global task. With the line between
broadcasting and telecommunications vanishing as a result of digital advancements,
television in the 21st century, with its capacity to transcend national
borders, is becoming a general information terminal in each household
that enables family members to access telecom lines for information, not
to mention viewing broadcast programs.
Broadcasting has great potential to make specific content available for
many in real-time. Through broadcasts, mankind nowadays can instantly
share wide-ranging information on such global issues as population, food,
energy and other resources, the environment, and education. As you will
experience later on, through broadcasting we can share delight at the
magnificent natural beauty of the earth relayed live from Antarctica,
a continent called the window on the environment, while taking the opportunity
to start working together for the sake of preserving the planet. Broadcasting
thus has the power to enhance social cohesion among a diverse audience.
Broadcasting can also play a vital role, in conjunction with international
events, in advancing regional culture and public welfare. Last year, we
at the APBU, or the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, launched the annual
"Asia-Pacific Robot Contest," an event hosted on a rotating basis and
aired in relevant countries and regions. This year, students of 20 universities
from 19 countries and regions got together in Bangkok, Thailand, to match
their wits and ingenuity using robots of their own creation. I believe
this new initiative has tapped a rich potential in science and technology,
as well as offered an opportunity for youngsters to cultivate their creativity
while nurturing their dreams and hopes.
We broadcasters have to continue to enhance our services by drawing from
the digital edge. This spirit was confirmed at the recent General Assembly
of the APBU held in Istanbul, a city called the crossroad of culture between
East and West, when we resolved to promote exchange of information on
digital broadcasts both in terms of engineering and production, so that
people in the ABU region may share the benefits of digitalization at the
earliest possible date. We also confirmed that we do this in concert with
the European Broadcasting Union. Through these endeavors, we would like
to make the utmost efforts to help diminish and prevent the "digital divide"
information gap, in our ongoing quest to enhance broadcasting services
around the globe.
I believe there is rising momentum now for the creation of a world in
which mankind will appreciate different cultures and respect different
values through broadcasting. It is increasingly important for us broadcasters
to embrace such perceptions of this time, and provide quality information
that will help enrich people's lives in such fields as education and medicine,
and that will help us secure world peace, from a public point of view
and with lofty aspirations.
We broadcasters must dedicate ourselves to the promotion of dialogue among
civilizations and enhance mutual understanding, as our principal mission
in the digital society of the 21st century.
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Hassan
Mohamed Hamed, for the Arab world
Comments on Article 5 of the WSIS Broadcasters' Declaration.
There comes a time when words are inadequate to express a thought or a
feeling. Before such a distinguished audience, I find myself privileged
to convey heartfelt greetings from Egypt, the cradle of civilization and
heart of the Arab World. The Arab area - as you all know - is the birthplace
of the three divine religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This has
indeed given enormous weight to human relations, focusing all the more
on human activities related to the dissemination of ideas, thoughts and
knowledge. The rich heritage we see today is echoed by the flourishing
media industry in this region in an age of fast developing satellites
and media booms.
Allow me to touch on a few points related to information accessibility
and affordability.
Government and private sectors should forge ahead to activate and enable
broadcasting media institutions to cope with new forms of digital, transnational,
decentralized and interactive broadcasting media by expanding public access,
encouraging free flow of information and a wider and better balanced dissemination
of information. Media diversity and a pluralistic press should be encouraged
and supported reflecting the widest possible range of opinion and participation
within the community.
Traditional broadcasting media systems should move to deal with the forces
of change created by globalization processes. National and local broadcasting
systems must address these changes, promoting concepts of cultural diversity;
equitable access to information and knowledge, especially in the public
domain. This includes respect for human rights; freedom of expression;
freedom of the press and strengthening the forces of democracy. National
and local broadcasting media systems should make every effort to address
public needs as well as to make information affordable to the majority,
free of charge or at a minimum charge.
Every effort should be exerted in order to narrow the dividing gap between
the haves and have nots. Until this is achieved, the haves must shoulder
the responsibility of accommodating the needs of the have nots. It is
our duty to balance the flow of information and fight all aspects of misinformation
stemming from discrimination on the basis of race, colour or creed.
Better access to information means empowering the weak, the needy and
the oppressed as well as opening all windows of hope before them. Let
their frail voices be heard loud and clear. Let us unite our efforts to
abolish all the man-made checkpoints of fear and misgivings and eradicate
the high walls of arrogance and hatred . Let us get rid of the malpractices
of stereotyping and ridiculing the other simply because he belongs to
another culture. Understanding each other's cultures will lead to a more
coherent and peaceful world. Ladies and Gentlemen. The challenges are
great, but the opportunities are greater and together we will prevail.
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