The EJN 2015 Programme for the coming year will continue to develop our main objectives which are strengthen the craft of journalism and to build public trust in media. In 2015 the EJN will follow up work on hate speech, self-regulation and actions to combat internal and external threats to good media governance.
The programme will include a second conference on hate speech to be organised in co-operation with the government of Rwanda in April 2015. This regional event for countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa will focus on hate speech at b time and the promotion of the EJN 5-point text for hate-speech in journalism.
The 2015 programme will also include specific events in partnership with EJN supporters to launch the conclusions of the 2014 multi-country surveys on self-regulation and paid journalism.
The EJN will also launch a multi-country survey of media coverage of migration issues as part of new co-operation with the International Organisation of Migration to assist media coverage in this area (see project proposal). Part of this work will include an international conference to be organised in Singapore in July 2015.
The EJN will further expand its work in the Western Balkans with UNESCO in a three-year project to promote self-regulation in the region. The work will also follow up the initiative to promote actions to counter self-censorship in Turkey.
As part of the EJN programme to raise awareness within journalism and media on the importance of ethics, good governance and self-regulation the EJN will lead a session at the world congress of the IPI to be held in Myanmar in April 2015.
The EJN will continue work in Pakistan in co-operation with International Media Support to strengthen the ethics and good programme launched in 2013.
Further the EJN will co-operate with the All China Journalists Association in activities to promote a national ethics code and regional ethics councils for Chinese journalism.
The EJN will also continue to develop its co-operation with journalists and media in the Middle East and fresh activities are planned for Palestine, Egypt and Tunisia. The EJN works closely with the Norwegian Institute of Journalism in this work.
The EJN is also working with the OSCE to promote dialogues between journalists in Ukraine and Russia and will seek to organise an event in Serbia which takes over the role of Chair of the OPSCE in January 2015.
As part of its work, the EJN will develop proposals for new dialogues within journalism on how media can work more effectively to promote responsibility in the open information landscape in line with the conclusions of the Bali Democracy Forum 2014, particularly regarding all forms of user generated content.
This work will be carried out through the organization of partnerships and country-based activities. For 2015 the EJN has agreed a number of partnerships and activities:
EJN Partnerships 2015
In addition to the work set out above, the EJN will continue to strengthen links with its supporters. Proposals include participation in activities being organised by the Online News Association, World Association of Newspapers, Organisation of News Ombudsmen, International Press Institute, Global Editors Network, European Federation of Journalists, Thomson Foundation, and UNESCO.
Updated EJN Programme 2014-2016
Time-line:
From 1 Jan 2014 until 31 December 2016
Theme:
Ethics, Governance and Self-Regulation–Building Tolerance and Setting Standards in the New World of Media
Targets:
Editors, executives, media owners and professional working across all platforms of media and journalism and online content productions.
Objectives:
• To develop and promote benchmarks for ethics and credible self-regulation in media including digital journalism
• To support media organisations with initiatives to improve transparency, good governance and effective internal management in all areas of media work
• To strengthen structures for industry co-operation on promotion of industry standards of accountability and self-regulation between media professional groups at regional and international level
• To support efforts to create a unified global movement in support of media self-regulation as well as more responsibility in public communications across the open information landscape
• To support the creation of regional campaigns for ethical journalism and against propaganda and hate speech by focusing on the need for pluralism and tolerance
• To develop country-focused initiatives in support of ethical journalism and good governance, to cover:
credible systems of independent media regulation, based upon principles of self-regulation, through politically-independent press and media councils (developing programmes for reform of existing bodies or promoting new initiatives)
- media efforts to develop a culture of inclusive journalism with effective reporting of minorities and elimination of hate-speech and inflammatory communications (training and awareness-raising through workshops and joint media actions with appropriate civil society groups)
- to encourage the transformation of state media into genuinely public service institutions (promoting policy changes needed to ensure financial and professional independence of national media institutions across all platforms of media and organising public dialogues on how this can be achieved)
- Development of codes and guidelines for online journalism including promotion of responsibility in the use of social media (using existing best-practice and models for appropriate guidelines for online communications)
- Training and awareness-raising on the importance of transparency and ethical management, unbiased political reporting, particularly at times of elections, and elimination of corrupt practices such as paid journalism (developing existing models of media reporting and codes of practice and establishing dialogues with political and state institutions).
• To support, in co-operation with UNESCO and other partners, a comprehensive and integrated communications resource providing up to date information on regulation of journalism and online media
Working Programme:
1. To strengthen and consolidate the work of the EJN and to expand its membership base including regional organisations of editors, journalists and media support groups including independent self-regulation bodies
2. To prepare global reports on the current state of self-regulation of media; problems caused by paid journalism and internal corruption; and media reporting of migration issues.
3. To initiate debate and discussions on the creation of an international Alliance of Independent Press Councils following up contact with AIPCE and Asian Alliance of Press Councils
4.To further develop tools and mechanisms to promote internal self-regulation (media audits and an Ethical Journalism Index)
5. To promote the migration of ethical principles on journalism into the on
line world
6. To identify and prepare programmes of work in support of EJN work in the following countries/regions:
- Europe: Western Balkans and Turkey
- Africa: Uganda. Kenya, Ghana, Great Lakes Region
- Asia: India, Malaysia, Myanmar , China
- Middle East: Egypt, Tunisia, PalestineFollow-up work in Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt
Budgets:
The total core budget for this work over three years will be 1.200.000 Euro, which is expected to be allocated in co-operation with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additional funding from programmes organised in co-operation with partners such as UNESCO (120.000 Euro), IOM, the European Union and IMS will increase the operational budgets during this period.
December 1st 2014