On the occasion of the European Week of Media Literacy, the Council of Europe and Reporters Without Borders invite to a conference on the 20th of March in Strasbourg, France. This might be of interest to experts on Media Literacy from Community Media across Europe!
Lack of funding in Croatia – Call for action
CMFE is happy to support not-for-profit media and cultural initiatives in Croatia, struggling with what seems to be a systematic lack of funding for the third or not-for-profit sector. Despite very positive developments in Croatia, there is a severe lack of funding specially in connection with European funding schemes, i.e. the European Social Fund, where postponements have taken place and kept media initiatives without access to tenders.
We wrote a letter to the ministry of Culture and we are hoping for a swift response to work together towards a sustainable, independent media scene!
Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the financial sustainability of quality journalism in the digital age
In a Declaration adopted today, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers encourages states to put in place a regulatory and policy framework that facilitates the operation of quality journalism, while not constraining media outlets’ editorial and operational independence. Recommended measures include a beneficial tax regime, financial support schemes and the possibility of media outlets to operate as not-for-profit organisations and receive donations from philanthropic programmes.
Council of Europe endorses Community Media
The Council of Europe recognises the value of community media as a source of local content, cultural and linguistic diversity, media pluralism, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue.
It endorses the commitment of community media to media and information literacy, through the development of critical and creative thinking and active participation in media content production. Continue reading
CoE: Protection and promotion of civil society space in Europe
O
n 28th of November, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted a recommendation to member States to take effective measures to protect and promote civil society space: find more information here: https://www.coe.int/en/web/ingo/-/call-on-civil-society-to-disseminate-the-recommendation-of-the-council-of-europe-on-the-need-to-strengthen-the-protection-and-promotion-of-civil-socie
(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 28 November 2018
at the 1330th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)
Council of Europe MSI-JOQ experts discussed quality journalism and media literacy in the digital age
CMFE is taking part in the Council of Europe’s committee on quality journalism in the digital age (MSI-JOQ) which met for the second time in Strasbourg on Sept. 24-25. The committee is tasked to prepare a standard-setting proposal on criteria and measures for promoting an enabling environment for quality journalism, taking account of the current challenges and the role that journalism should continue to play in safeguarding democracies. MSI-JOQ is also preparing a draft study on media and information literacy in the digital environment. Among the experts involved are Nadia Bellardi, independent expert on the committee, and Helmut Peissl, observer on behalf of CMFE. Read more here: https://www.coe.int/en/web/freedom-expression/-/msi-joq-experts-discussed-quality-journalism-and-media-literacy-in-the-digital-age
CoE: Recommendation on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership adopted
We are glad to announce that the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe adopted on 7th of March 2018 the Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)1[1] of the Committee of Ministers to member States on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership. Continue reading
Net Neutrality – UNESCO Report
Please find below the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of the UNESCO Report, World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development (The final publication is expected later in December.):
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0025/002597/259756e.pdf
There is an interesting paragraph about ‘zero-rating’ an net neutrality: Continue reading
Community Media Sustainability – Policy Series
A new resource is available, reports Birgitte Jallov, EMPOWERHOUSE and Member of the CMFE board, for community radio regulators – and all of us advocating for enabling legal community media environments: In September 2015 UNESCO called on community media stakeholders, representing governments, regulators, practitioners, NGOs and experts from all regions of the world to come and pool their experience on the challenges when wanting to support Community Media Sustainability – with a focus on policy and funding. Read more here.
The resulting recommendations are addressed to Governments and Regulators, to Community Media Outlets and Associations, and to UNESCO – the UN organization with the mandate on media, and to the international community. Continue reading
CoE: Media regulatory authorities and hate speech in the Balkan
The Council of Europe has published a report on media regulatory authorities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia and hate speech.
The aim of this publication is to contribute to a wider understanding of the concept of hate speech, what it does and does not constitute, to offer a starting point in terms of providing recommendations and mechanisms for fighting against and preventing it, and to facilitate further efforts and initiatives. It should represent a useful and important tool in further activities of not only media regulatory bodies, but within the discourse of wider societal stakeholders.
Read the full report here: https://rm.coe.int/media-regulatory-authorities-and-hate-speech/16807338f5