The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today launched a call for a
wide-ranging debate about ethical journalism, human rights protection and a new
vision of media regulation to strengthen democracy in Europe.
The call was made by the EFJ General Secretary, Aidan White, in a
lecture on Ethical Journalism and Human Rights organised by Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner
of Human Rights of the Council of Europe
Referring to the economic and structural crisis in media which threatens
to overwhelm journalism in Europe, White told an audience at the European
Parliament that journalism as a public good was a theme being taken up by
journalists' groups across the continent.
"It is time for a new narrative that will place moral values in media
and ethical journalism at the heart of strategies for embracing the information
revolution," he said. "Governments must keep their hands off media and must
respect human rights while journalists must rise to the challenge of putting
their own house in order."
In a wide-ranging talk White argued that journalism as a public good
involves reporting stories based on principles of truth-telling, accuracy and
fairness. He said governments should provide more access to public information
and should lift the burden on journalism of repressive laws such as those
covering criminal defamation, blasphemy and national security.
He particularly targeted the threat to press freedom from attacks on the
confidentiality of journalists' sources and the hounding of journalists by
governments both in the courts and through covert surveillance.
"There is no place for discipline of dissent in a democracy," said
White. "Weak legal protection of journalists stifles legitimate scrutiny of
people in power and has a chilling effect on independent reporting." He
welcomed the support of the European Court of Human Rights in preserving the
anonymity of sources but he warned the Court not to stray into areas of
journalism by passing judgment on the editorial choice that journalists make
and their behavior.
"When judges move from testing rights and the law and start casting
their eyes over headlines, pictures and stories alarm bells ring in the halls
of journalism," he said.
Introducing the lecture, Thomas Hammarberg, urged governments to use the
law to enhance human rights protection and not to hinder journalists. "Public
transparency and access to information are necessary for independent
journalism," he said. He welcomed the Ethical Journalism Initiative of the IFJ
and said the lecture was the first in a series he has commissioned on
journalism and human rights.
The paper is
available at: http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Activities/IPList_en.asp
For more
information, please contact EFJ on + 32 2 235 22 00
The EFJ represents more than
250.000 members in over 30 countries