Journalism and the Challenge of Intolerance Conference, May 3

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is to hold a conference on World Press Freedom Day, 3 & 4 May 2012, in Brussels highlighting the challenge of balancing racial, cultural and religious sensitivity with the right to freedom of expression, in partnership with ARTICLE 19 and Media Diversity Institute. A study on Getting the Facts Right: Reporting Ethnicity and Religion will be launched during this occasion.


Prominent speakers include:


Mr Nils Muižnieks, Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe; Arne König, President of European Federation of Journalists; Annika Nyberg Frankenhaeuser, Media Director, European Broadcasting Union; Milica Pesic, Executive Director, Media Diversity Institute; Sejal Parmar, Senior Legal Officer, ARTICLE 19; and more.

 

In particular, the conference will attempt to seek a collective answer to questions such as: What can journalists do to improve ethical standards? How can trade unions use the collective bargaining process to create greater equality of opportunity in newsrooms? How do we encourage more employment of people from different backgrounds in journalism? What standards do media professionals need to set for the training, recruitment and editorial policies that will bring balance and equality into the internal social and employment structure of the media?
In the past year, three EFJ affiliates, the Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers (ESIEMTH), the Slovak Syndicate of Journalists (SSN) and the Lithuanian Journalists' Union (LZS) have launched national campaigns and debated among national journalists on these key issues as part of the EFJ Ethical Journalism Initiative campaign.

 

This conference will now bring together all EFJ affiliates, civil liberties and human rights activists, and European policy makers to highlight the challenges facing journalists, to share good practices and to develop new strategies to combat intolerance and violations of journalists' rights.
Registration is open until 27 April 2012 for participants based in Brussels. For further information, please contact Yuk Lan Wong (+ 32 22352226).

 

Download the information pack:


       

       

      Conference location:


      International Press Centre, 
      Residence Palace
      Rue de la Loi 155,
      B1040Brussels, Belgium