world press freedom conference 2020 journalism …...journalism today undergoes many pressures from...

WorldPressFreedomDay2020ConceptNote–Printfriendlyversion

WorldPressFreedomConference2020

Journalismwithoutfearorfavour

18–20October|WorldForum|TheHague|TheNetherlands

CONCEPTNOTE


1.Introduction:whyindependentmediamatter

On 3May 2020, UNESCOwill lead the celebration of the 27th annualWorld Press Freedom Day (WPFD).

UNESCO and the Kingdom of the Netherlands had planned to hold theWorld Press Freedom Conference

(WPFC)from22to24AprilattheWorldForuminTheHague,acityknownforitsroleininternationalpeace

andjustice.InlightoftheCOVID-19outbreak,theconferenceisnowscheduledfor18to20Octoberatthe

samevenue.TheeventwillbeajointcelebrationofWorldPressFreedomDayandtheInternationalDayto

EndImpunityforCrimesagainstJournalists(2November).

Thefocusthisyearisontakingactiontosecureindependentjournalism.Thiscall istoeveryonewhohasa

roletoplay-includinggovernments,journalistsandmedia,thejudiciaryandlegalsector,Internetbusinesses,

civil society,academiaand theyouth. The focus forWPFD2020 isonsuccesses inenhancingprofessional

journalismanditsfoundationonindependentnewsmediainstitutions.

Independence is a key element in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free,

Independent and Pluralistic Press, which led the UN to proclaimWorld Press Freedom Day in 1993. The

Declarationrecognizesthatpressfreedomrequiresnotonlylawsthatprovidestrongguaranteesforfreedom

ofexpression,butalsoconditionsthatensuremediapluralismandwhichenablejournalismthatiseditorially

independent.

Today, it is timely to highlight such independence as a necessary condition for the fulfillment of press

freedom.Thisisbecausepersistingandnewformsofcontrolofmediathreatenjournalism’sroleinproviding

the public with reliable facts, inclusive views and a diversity of cultural expressions.1Yet there is also a

growingmovement tobring reality closer to theWindhoek idealsby freeing journalism fromcontrols that

impedeeditorialindependence.ThisisessentialifhumanityistoreachtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals

(SDGs)thatincludeachievingpeace,justiceandtheruleoflawforwhichpressfreedomisindispensable.

Independentandprofessionaljournalists,alongwithanindependentjudiciary,playakeypartinpreventing

the capture of state power for private purposes.When these groups are protected, they can help ensure

1RecognitionoftheimportanceofeditorialindependenceanddiversityofthemediaisintegratedintoUNESCO’sMediaDevelopmentIndicatorsandtheInternetUniversalityIndicators,aswellasmonitoredintheframeoftheOrganisation’sreportsonWorldTrendsinFreedomofExpressionandMediaDevelopmentandRe-ShapingCulturalPolicies.


accountabilityofpowerholdersandduty-bearersforprotectinghumanrightsandforprogressonsustainable

development.

The WPFD 2020 theme coincides with the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. For this anniversary,

MemberStateshaveaffirmedacommitmenttomultilateralism,whichiskeytoupholdinguniversalnormsof

peaceandhumanrights.2ThiscontextprovidesanopportunityforthecelebrationofWPFDtoenhanceco-

operationbetweenMemberStatesandencouragemulti-stakeholdercoalitionstoprotectpressfreedomand

safetyofjournalistswhicharenecessaryconditionsformediaindependence.

2.TheWPFD2020themeinbrief

Journalism todayundergoesmanypressures fromactors trying to captureor intimidatemedia inorder to

hamper journalists in their dailywork and by doing so, influence the flowof information. In addition, the

ongoing revolution in communications technology and the rise ofmajor Internet companies pose another

challengeto independent journalismand– throughthat– to thevaluethatpress freedomhas forsociety.

Thesedevelopmentsmaketheroleofjournalisminsocietiesmoredistinctiveandpreciousthanever,which

isalsowhythereismountingactioninfavourofmediaandjournalisticindependenceacrosstheworld.

Historically, take-overs of news have been exercised through political and economic controls over media

institutions. These were through state ownership of media, as well as through media barons, media

monopolies, advertisers’ interferences and public relations manipulation. In recent times, these enduring

challenges have intensified as advertising-reliant businessmodels for newsmedia lose ground to Internet

companies. Meanwhile, longstanding male-gender predominance in media is another factor that affects

editorialintegrity.

Today, the concerns about independence of journalism have extended to additional issues. These include

majorInternetcompanieshavingbecometheprimarycuratorsofjournalisticandculturalcontent,andsome

of themoperatingbusinessmodels thathavepromoteddisinformationandhatespeechat theexpenseof

prominencetojournalism.

On top of this, there is an increase in incitement to hostility against targeted news outlets and individual

reporters, and of intimidation via digital channels where women journalists and artists are especially

subjectedtoattack.

Taken together, these developments are leading to cases of public interest being supplanted by vested

powerful interests.These forcesundermineprofessional journalistic standards,and they skew thekindsof

2http://research.un.org/


information and cultural content which individuals are accessing. The result is far from the spirit of

SustainableDevelopmentGoal16.10whichrecognizessociety’sneedfor“publicaccessto informationand

fundamentalfreedoms”.

At the same time, peopleworldwide are developing successful strategies to address the classic aswell as

newerchallengestomedia independence. WPFD2020 isanopportunity toshowcase,celebrateand learn

fromtheseexperiences.

3.Editorialindependencechallengedbyvariousformsofmediacapture

Editorial independence isnotpossiblewhenmediaoutletsaresetup,takenoverormanipulatedbyactors

whoweaken or distort the core journalistic standards of verification of facts andethical publishing in the

public interest.3 This phenomenon is referred to by analysts as “media capture”. Press freedom is about

autonomyfromnarrowinterests.Atthesametime,italsohastoentailstrongprofessionalstandardsifthere

istobesubstancetothemeaningofindependence.4Thesearetwosidesofthesamecoin.

It ispreciselythepotentialof independentandprofessional journalismtoexposeabuseofpowerandhold

powerholderstoaccountthatrendersitaprimetargetforcapture.5Theactorsinmediacapturerangefrom

political forces through to private businesses and other interest groups. By exerting power over media

discoursesandpervertingbasic journalisticethicsandstandards,captorsseektofurtherpolitical, religious,

ideological or financial objectives. The common element is that they all serve to sway news away from

keepingpoweraccountable.6

In recent years, therehas alsobeen a rise in public figuresusinghostile action anddiscourse intended to

intimidatejournalistsandspreaddistrust inprofessionalreporting.WithintheUN,severalresolutionshave

warnedaboutthepotentialconsequencesofsuchrhetoricandstressedsupportfortheUNPlanofActionon

SafetyofJournalistsandtheIssueofImpunity.

3AlinaMungiu-Pippidi,citedinhttps://cmds.ceu.edu/sites/cmcs.ceu.hu/files/attachment/article/1174/cima-media-capture-book-f.pdf,p.24Thispointlinkstothekindofcapturehasbeendescribedas“cognitivecapture”,whichresultsfromoverly-closeassociationbetweenreportersandthegroupsinpowerwhomtheycover.Stiglitz,J.E.2017.Towardataxonomyofmediacapturehttps://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/sites/jstiglitz/files/Capture2_Taxonomy-of-Media-Capture.pdf5Schiffrin,A.2017.Intheserviceofpower:mediacaptureandthethreattodemocracy.Washington,DCandNewYork:CenterforInternationalMediaAssistanceandColumbiaUniversitySchoolofInternationalandPublicAffairs.https://www.cima.ned.org/resource/service-power-media-capture-threat-democracy/6ApartialbibliographyonmediacaptureisavailablefromtheForumMediaandDevelopment,andcanbefoundathttps://fome.info/events/symposium-2018/literature


Inthesectionsthatfollow,moredetailisgiventohoweditorialintegrityandindependenceareimpactedby

captureandattacks, to issuesposedby the roleof Internetcompanies for independent journalism,and to

the place of gender dimensions in the equation. In this, attention is also given to the many actors and

strategiesthatarerespondingtothesechallenges.

4.Curtailingthecorrosionofnewsbypoliticalandbusinessinterests

Political control over newsmedia by governments aswell as by opposition politicians is amuch-observed

form of media capture. Governmental control often exploits public ownership of media assets, and the

patronagepowerofstateadvertisingbudgets,inordertofavourselectedmediaoutletsandpenaliseothers.

Politicalcapturehasalsobeeneffectedbypreventingorcompromisingtheindependenceofcommunications

licensing and regulatory bodies. Theweaker the privatemedia, themore vulnerable it is to purchase by

patronsorotherentitieswithintereststhatgoagainstindependentjournalism.

Concentration of ownership and unlimited cross-ownership in privately-owned communications industries

continuestoenabletheweakeningofeditorialindependence.Thereisalsotheco-optionofmediabyhidden

shareholderswithpoliticalmotives.7EntitiesasdiverseastheEuropeanCommissionandtheInter-American

Special Rapporteur for Freedomof Expression are raising concerns aboutmedia pluralism and diversity in

theirregions,andmanyactorsarepressingfortheenforcementofcompetitionlaws.8Othersareworkingfor

transparency of ownership, aswell as effective regulation to prevent abuse of state advertising budgets.9

Stronginstitutionalprotectionsareneededforeditorialindependenceinstate-ownedmediaenterprises.The

solutionalso requirescommunications regulators tobe independentofexternal interests.For theartsand

culturesectors,publicpoliciesandregulationscanprotectandpromotetheintegrityandemergenceoffree

anddiverseculturalexpressions,avitalcontributiontoanyflourishingdemocracy.Robustself-regulationfor

news media institutions is essential for their own accountability for upholding editorial standards.

7SeetheMediaOwnershipMonitorofReportersSansFrontières.http://www.mom-rsf.org/TheOrganisedCrimeandCorruptionReportingProjecthasalsoliftedthelidonshellcompanies,oftenregisteredoffshore,usedtohidetheidentityofmediaownershttps://www.occrp.org/en8Nelson,M.M.2017.Whatistobedone?Optionsforcombattingthemenaceofmediacapture.InSchiffrin,A.(ed).2017.Intheserviceofpower:Mediacaptureandthethreattodemocracy.CenterforInternationalMediaAssistance:WashingtonDC.9SeeMendel,T.,GarciaCastillejo,A,andGomez,G.2017.ConcentrationofMediaOwnershipandFreedomofExpression:GlobalStandardsandImplicationsfortheAmericas.UNESCOMontevideoOffice:Montevideo.https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000248091;Becerra,MandMastrini,G.2019.Laconvergenciademedios,telecomunicacioneseinternetenlaperspectivadelacompetencia:Haciaunenfoquemulticomprensivo.UNESCOMontevideoOffice:Montevideo.


Strengtheningjournalisticethicsisalsopartofthepictureasaresponsetocorruptionofindividualjournalists

whichalsocompromiseseditorialintegrity.10

Thedevelopmentofalternativejournalisticplatforms,theinclusioninmediaofvoicesofyoungpeople,and

innovations in ownership and business models, are further steps that can support enhanced diversity,

transparencyandjournalisticintegrity.Exposingthelucrativebusinessofundisclosedsponsorship,suchasin

thecasesofsomebloggersand“influencers”,isanothermeasurebeingundertaken.

Media capture can in some instances be facilitated by “a pliant judiciary to prosecute independent

journalists.”11In order for judicial officials to be able to effectively safeguard press freedom, journalistic

safetyandmediaindependence,lawsandsystemsshouldbeinplacetoadequatelyprotectthemaswellas

freedomofexpression.Manyinternationalinstitutionsandparliamentsareworkingtoentrenchanenabling

legalenvironmentfor judicial independence.UNESCOandothersareworkingwith judges,prosecutorsand

lawyers around the world to promote better understanding of international standards for freedom of

expressionastheserelatetothelegalsphere.Thesestepscanrestrainpoliticalandbusinesscaptureofthe

judiciaryandthemediaasprecioussocialinstitutions.

Thereisprogressinalltheseareasandinspiringstoriestoshare.

Pointstoponder

1. What legal and policy approaches are helping to protect or restore editorial independence in the

mediasector,theintegrityofregulators,andthefairallocationofstateadvertising?

2. Whatinnovativeapproachesaresuccessfullycurbingmediaconcentrationandopaqueownership,as

wellasdiversifyingmediaownership?

3. Whatcasesshowthevalueofanindependentjudiciaryprotectingfreedomofexpressionandfending

offcapture?

4. What steps are journalists, civil society and others taking to strengthen self-regulation as part of

accountabilityforindependenceandeditorialintegrity?

5. Howdotheissuesofcaptureandattacksonmediaimpactonfreedomofartisticexpression?

5.Makingmediaindependenceafactorforgenderequality

10SeetheEthicalJournalismNetworkhttps://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/andRSF’sJournalismTrustInitiative,https://rsf.org/en/news/rsf-and-its-partners-unveil-journalism-trust-initiative-combat-disinformation11Stiglitz,Joseph,E.2017.Towardataxonomyofmediacapturehttps://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/sites/jstiglitz/files/Capture2_Taxonomy-of-Media-Capture.pdf


Anotherdimensionofpower that impactson theextent towhich journalismserves society inclusivelyand

advances the Sustainable Development Goals is the predominance of men inmedia leadership positions.

Recentstudieshave foundthatmenhold73%of topmanagementpositions inkeymedia institutions.12A

similarpatternisevidentinmediaownership.

This imbalancecorrelateswith relativeblindspots inmedia in regard to female staff, andgenderportrayal

andstereotyping.Further,recentsurveyshavefoundthatinmanyplaceswomenjournalistsandartistsare

disproportionately targeted by online harassment, threats, sexist hate speech and trolling.13 Despite a

growingawarenessof theproblem,manynewsorganizationshavebeenslowtodealwith these issues. In

addition,inmanysocieties,restrictionsandcensorshipofartisticexpressionsparticularlydiscriminateagainst

womenartistsandfemaleaudiences.Thisdemotivatesandrestrictswomeninexercisingtheirrights,andcan

leadtoself-censorship.

Gendered control is often also tied up with intersectional inequalities including race, ethnicity, sexual

orientation and gender identity. Youth is another intersectional issue, and these inequalities need to be

addressedifindependentjournalismistocontributetoinclusivenessandnon-discriminationthatarepartof

sustainabledevelopment.

In recent years, influential movements have been successfully challenging the status quo, and helping to

ensurebettergenderrepresentationinownership,staffingandcontentintheproductionofjournalism.

Pointstoponder

1. Whatarethesuccessstoriesinregardtoachievingchangeinmediaownershipandmanagement

inregardtogenderequality?

2. What steps in regard to content are visible in media and culture outlets to promote gender

equality in society such as by tackling gender stereotypes and reflecting greater diversity in

content?

3. What lessons can we learn from media outlets that provide help to protect journalists, in

particularfemalejournalists,freelancers,andartists,fromharassmentandattack?

12French,L;VegaMontiel,A;Padovani,C(eds).2019.Gender,media&ICTs:newapproachesforresearch,education&training.Paris:UNESCO.https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000368963.locale=en;VegaMontiel,A.andMacharia,S.(eds).2019.Settingthegenderagendaforcommunicationpolicy:newproposalsfromtheGlobalAllianceonMediaandGender;Paris:UNESCO.https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000368962.locale=en;https://www.iwmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IWMF-Global-Report.pdf13https://www.iwmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Attacks-and-Harassment.pdf;https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/ifj-survey-two-thirds-of-women-journalists-suffered-gender-based-online-attacks.html


6.Promotingindependentjournalismandmediaonline

Internetcompanieshaveaffordedspaceforjournalisticalternatives,includingyouth-driveninnovation.This

is especially significant in contexts wheremedia is captured, and it enablesmore pluralistic and inclusive

information environments. At the same time, Internet technologies have themselves become increasingly

centralised inglobal Internetcompanies.Theseentitiesarenowthemainarbitersof technology-mediated

communications. The world’s Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression have signalled such

unaccountableprivatecontrolasapotentialrisktofreedomofexpression.14

ManyInternetbusinessmodelsrelyoncapturinguserdatathroughprolonginguserengagementbymeansof

prioritizing content that arouses emotions, and with the side-effect of downgrading the visibility of fact-

based journalistic output. Further,many online channels are availed to actorswho seek to sway opinions

throughbelow-the-radarandmicro-targetedcontent.All this takesplaceoutsideof the transparentpublic

sphere,andcontrastsstronglywiththevalueofnewsmedia’scontributiontosociety.

Theoverall effect is that Internet companieshave increasingly takenovera largepartof the roleofnews

media in the communicationsecology.However,underpublicpressure, theyarebeginning toaddress the

needforethicalcodesalignedtointernationalhumanrightsstandards,andeffectiveself-regulatorysystems.

Anumberofactorshavebeenpromotingtheestablishmentofanindependentandmultistakeholdersocial

mediacouncilforInternetcompanies.Whilethereremainmanyquestions,adialoguehasstarted.

Pointstoponder

1. Whatinterventionsarebeingconsideredinthefaceofinternetactorsplayingsuchalargerolein

communications?

2. What cases exist where Internet companies co-operate meaningfully with newsmedia to help

ensure visibility of independent journalism, as well as creativity and diversity of cultural

expressions,andhowcanthesebereinforced?

3. Howcanimprovedaccountabilityandself-regulationbyInternetcompanieshelptoresistcapture

oftheirplatformsbypeoplespreadingdisinformation,hatespeechandhostilitytojournalism?

4. What wider funding solutions are being proposed to address market failure in regard to the

sustainabilityofindependentjournalismintothefuture?

7.Unshacklingjournalism–strengtheningtheconditionsforindependence

14“JointDeclarationonChallengestoFreedomofExpressionintheNextDecade”https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/425282


The celebration of WPFD 2020 is based on a solutions-oriented approach and seeks to galvanize and

empowerallconcernedintomorepowerfulaction.Thediverseeffortsatpushingbackagainstthepressures

andatsecuringeditorial independencefor journalismmeritbeingamplified. Innovativepracticesespecially

deservetobeshared,anddifferentactorslinkeduptoreinforcetheirsynergies.WPFD2020isthetimefor

thistohappen.

Afree,pluralisticandindependentmediaenvironment,bothonlineandoffline,isquintessentialtoupholding

freedomofexpressionasa fundamentalhumanright. It isakeyelementofanydemocraticsociety,and it

acceleratesprogress insustainabledevelopment.Significantly, it isalsoa fundamentalvaluethatmobilises

manypeopleintoaction.Whenjournalistsareprotectedbythelaw,whentheycaninvestigate,reportand

publish freely and professionally without being tied to the specific agendas of powerful elites or interest

groups,andwithoutfearofattack,thentheycanfulfiltheirdemocraticanddevelopmentpotential.Theycan

holdpowertoaccount,promotetransparency,disseminatequalityinformationandcontributetoanethical,

fact-basedcommunicationsecosystem.

Inputting the focusonefforts aimed toprotect independent journalism, theWorldPress FreedomDay in

2020buildsupontheinsightsandenergyofthe2019themewhichsoughttostrengthenmedia’scontribution

toelectionsandthefightagainstdisinformation.Enhancingknowledgeofthecurrentissuesandeffortsfor

changecanhelptokeepjournalismfreeandindependentintothefuture.

ThisisthepromiseofpolicydiscussionsduringtheWorldPressFreedomDay2020andfarbeyond.

world press freedom conference 2020 journalism …...journalism today undergoes many pressures from...

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