Forum documents
Media Freedom and the Information Society
Moderator: Yoshinori Imai
10 December, 2003.
Editorially independent radio, television and websites are an indispensable tool of the Information Society. Examples from the Arab World illustrate the crossroads at which many countries now find themselves, in the face of rapidly changing information technologies.
Content
- Summary
- Notes for a Broadcasters' Action plan
- Input from viewers and listeners
- Keynote address
José Roberto Marinho, Co-Chairman of Globo Organisations
- Statement
Tomas Olrich, Minister of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland
- Statement
David Flint, Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Authority
- Statement
Iftekhar Chowdury, Chairman of the United Nations Committee on Information
- Statement
Timothy Balding, Director General of the World Association of Newspapers
- Statement
Naomi Sakr, Specialist in the political economy of communication in the Arab world
- Statement
Wadah Khanfar, Managing Director of Al Jazeera Satellite
- Statement
Habib Chawki Hamraoui, Directeur Général ENTV, Algérie
- Statement
Aidan White, Secretary-General, International Federation of Journalists
- Statement
Ahmet M. Oren, Chairman of Ihlas Holding
- Statement
Mervat M. Tallawy, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- Statement
Simon Seva Mboiny, Directeur de l'Office de Radio-Télévision Publique de Madagascar
- Statement
Andrew Onalenna Sesinyi, Secretary-General, URTNA
- Statement
Radhwan Abu Ayyash, Chairman of the Board of Palestine Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)
- Resources
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Summary
As moderator for this session, YOSHINORI IMAI of NHK outlined the principal themes: how editorially independent radio, television and websites have become indispensable tools for the information society, particularly at a time when there is a tendency towards cultural uniformity and increasing convergence.
Keynote speaker JOSE ROBERTO MARINHO, outlined three main topics with regard to freedom of communication in the world. The first, he said, was the increased concentration of media corporations with their centralization of content and world-wide system of production distribution; the second is the increased convergence of media through new technologies ; and the third is the evolution of the regulatory environment. These were all issues that should be taken into account when discussing the concept of media freedom, he said.
TOMAS OLRICH observed that only now was the world witnessing the impact of the Internet on other media. A new generation was growing up with high demands for speed, variety and a diversified exchange of opinion, he said.
DAVID FLINT warned against a devaluation of the fundamental rights of press freedom in a seemingly neverending proliferation of new human rights. Freedom of the media, he said, is as important in the Information Society as it was at the time of the American Constitution.
DANNY SCHECHTER ( MediaChannel.Org, USA) argued that the world, particularly the United States, was witnessing an incredible media crisis with a severe lowering of journalistic standards. This was characterized by manipulation and censorship by various governments, but also by self-censorship by journalists themselves. Depending on where you live, he said, you see a different Iraqi war in the media and this is a serious danger for democracy.
TIM BALDING emphasised that the Internet was granting a greater voice to all those who feel traditional media are not reflecting their views. Yet dozens of governments are taking information hostage and deprive their citizens of the right to public debate and plurality of opinion, he said.
IFTEKHAR CHOWDURY reminded listeners of the central significance of press freedom reflected in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of 1948. Freedom of the press is important for everyone, he said, but especially for the underprivileged.
JEAN ZIEGLER pointed out that 10 December was Human Rights Day and that there is a strong relationship between freedom of the press and a timely response to famine crises in the world. Freedom of the press is a weapon in the fight for life, he stressed. People are dying of hunger for lack of information, he added, and only a free media could combat these “silent massacres.”
A second panel discussed the Media Landscape in the Arab world. Talking via satellite link from Baghdad, ABDUL KADDAH from Al Jazeera reported on the difficult situation faced by journalists in Iraq today. He said that 21 members of his staff had been arrested by Coalition forces and Iraqi authorities, and two remained in jail. The Al Jazeera Managing Director WADAH KHANFAR, in Geneva, explained that over the last three years his television network had tried to provide a public platform for opposition groups and debate in the Middle East, but had come under heavy criticism by both East and West. There was a need, he said, to recognise that good journalism does not depend on perspective, but on a set of values that are universal.
 HABIB CHAWKI HAMRAOUI left his prepared statement to address his former schoolmate, KADDAH, whom he had just seen and heard for the first time in years. KADDAH, he said, left Algeria because of terrorism; and now worked for Al Jazeera on the difficult Baghdad assignment. He stressed the need not to see the Arab world as a block; in many Arab countries, including Algeria, freedom of expression is well advanced.
NAOMI SAKR outlined some of the new and old features of the Arab media landscape, noting that what is new is the existence of counter-opinion. Satellite television has given new voice and contributed to a new sense of Arab identity by bringing different communities closer together. However, she pointed out, the national media remains heavily politicised and lacks financial independence.
Commenting on recent changes, AHMET OREN of Turkish Ihlas Holding, stressed the positive aspects of media competition. He also noted that the new freedom not only affected the news, but also entertainment.
Linking these changes in the Arab world to the larger question of media freedom, AIDAN WHITE of the International Federation of Journalists voiced concern over double signals sent to Arab journalists. While seeking to provide independent reporting and comments from both sides of the conflict in Iraq, they have had to face Western-led crackdowns by the authorities, he pointed out.
Participants from the floor, including RONALD KOVEN (World Press Freedom Committee, Paris) raised concerns about the holding of the second phase of the WSIS in Tunisia, a country with a very poor record regarding freedom of information. Others regretted the participation at the WSIS of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe whose repression of the free press has remained ruthless.
MERVAT M. TALLAWY said that positive developments in the Arab world are linked to satellite broadcasts and the Internet. Yet Internet propagation must be accelerated and media freedom encouraged, she said, noting that there is need for the media to address concerns for socio-economic development as well as commercial or political interests. New codes of conduct are necessary to protect the freedom and diversity of the media not only on the regional but also the global landscape, she said.
These speakers were followed by a video report on the lessons learned from working with the local media in Afghanistan, emphasising the role of electronic media in the democratic process and the need to respect local and national cultures.
AIDAN WHITE reflected on the lack of long - term strategies for media development. Other participants from the floor stressed the need for public mobilization in favour of independent media and responsible, educated reporting standards.
ANDREW ONALENNA SESINYI of the African broadcasting Union URTNA questioned the image of Africa in the international media. Just because your television has reported on Africa does not mean that audiences have seen the African story, he said. The real story of Africa can be told best through concerted efforts to develop local content with broad dissemination. He also pleaded for an African transnational satellite network.
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Notes for a Broadcasters' Action plan
A world broadcasters' Action Plan should first and foremost proclaim the absolute necessity of editorial independence for any media to be credible.
Broadcasting freedom is indispensable to social development, good governance and democracy.
The conditions for media freedom must be redefined under new circumstances: concentration of media companies, convergence of media and telecommunications, evolution of regulatory environment, challenge of Internet and transnational satellites.
The example of the Arab world has shown a multi-faceted situation which we might have observed in many other regions. There are areas of considerable progress, but a lot remains to be improved.
Interestingly, the Iraqi case denotes that even Western governments do not respect media independence as much as they should. Journalistic standards need to be valued and respected over and above cultural, social and political differences and this may not be as easy as one perhaps would have believed.
The Internet brings a new dimension to media freedom. How do broadcasters benefit from it? Much of the website input we received from viewers-listeners is rather critical. From Colombia : “On radio and television, the information you get is biased. Better check on at least two or more stations. Internet is a better source.” From Ireland : “Journalists who report objectively on issues are few and far between”. From Nigeria : “ Private media give the opposite of what government says. For the Nigerian public, it simply means that private media are telling the truth. Yet the truth should rely on thorough investigation”. From USA : “I get independent and credible information mainly though the Internet.”
A broadcaster’s proclamation of professional standards is needed for an Action Plan.
On an optimistic note, the role of media in the democratisation process is observed by some of our website correspondents. From Bosnia-Herzegovina : “The broadcasting industry is moving away from earlier political and ethnic manipulation and biased reporting. Hate speech has all but been eradicated from radio and TV”.
Guillaume Chenevière, Executive Director of the WEMF
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Input from viewers and listeners
Several hundreds of viewers-listeners registred on the WEMF website as "interactive participants". As of October 2003, the website included a questionnaire which recieved responses from 21 countries.
Questionnaire
1)- Do you get independent, credible information in your own language through radio, television and/or the Internet?
2)- Are your culture and traditions sufficiently reflected in the radio, television and Internet programmes that you get ?
3) Have new technologies such as satellite broadcasting and Internet changed the situation in your country? If yes, how?
Sample of answers
From Bosnia-Herzegovina: The broadcasting industry is moving away from earlier political and ethnic manipulation and biased reporting. In fact, hate speech has all but been eradicated from radio and TV.
From USA: I get independent and credible information mostly through the Internet. It has given some of us more access to global culture and information that is not transmitted via conventional media.
From Egypt: Satellite broadcasting is changing the situation in Arab countries, but the Internet is still limited because of language barriers.
From Iran: 99 % of Islam is about peace and 1 percent about violence. Yet only this 1% is reflected in the media. Satellite broadcasting in Farsi is politicised without enough influence on socialization. It is different on the Internet, if we exclude visitors of sex websites.
From Pakistan: Satellite TV channels have loosened the government control over electronic media, forcing them to adopt a liberal media policy.
From Colombia: On television as well as in the radio, the information you get can be biased; it is better to check on at least two or more stations. Internet is a better source of information. Satellites have improved the news through access to more sources.
From Nigeria: The influence of satellite broadcasting and the Internet have drastically changed things. In some areas, they have improved things, enabling one to get quick access to urgent information. In some situations they have polluted the minds of the uncontrolled youths and promoted fraudulent practices.
From Azerbaidjan: Culture and tradition of my country are fully reflected in all vehicles of communications, but less in the Internet. Alternative sources of information have occurred which serve the development of civil society.
From India: New media change the life patterns of people. Internet and satellite broadcasting affect Indian major cities, but not the whole country.
From Brazil: L’information n’est jamais 100% crédible quand les propriétaires des médias participent à la vie politique. Hélas. Il y a beaucoup de chose à faire pour changer la manipulation idéologique régnante. L’accès à l’Internet est le plus important phénomène obs erv é ces dernières années au B résil. Cela représente une ouverture impressionnante au monde.
From Nigeria: In many parts of Africa, there is a basic lack of democracy which is translated into the information and communication world.
From Azerbaidjan: Azerbadijan cannot be imagined without the Internet, as the role of this vehicle is inestimable. It is one the few countries of the region where one can freely open and read ever y web page.
From Nigeria: Private media gives the opposite of what government says. Since the Nigerian public may not really have faith in the government of the day, it simply means that private media will reflect the truth. Yet the truth should rely on thorough investigation…
From India: We have very free media, but there should be an international code of ethics for all media. Media is money minded now and influenced by western culture : only movies and pop music find their place in air time.
From Ireland: It is hard to know whether the information one receives is independent or credible. Journalists who report objectively on issues are few and far between.
From Uruguay: Obtengo en mi casa informaciones a treves de Internet que proviene de fuentes variadas que me es possible seleccionar. Es mas limitado la " independencia " de las Fuentes que se pueden obtener a traves de la radio o la television.
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Resources
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