27 Issue 27 QUA- January - April 2007 DERNS DEL CAC www.cac.cat Image and the right to ridicule Quaderns del CAC issue 27, January-April 2007 Contents .Introduction 2 E-mail: [email protected] .Monographic: Image and the right to ridicule Offence and free speech 3 Editorial board: Victòria Camps Victòria Camps i Cervera (editora), Jaume Serrats i Free speech in tolerant society: the case of the 13 Ollé, Dolors Comas d’Argemir i Cendra, Núria Mohammed cartoons Llorach i Boladeras, Rafael Jorba i Castellví, Daniel Gamper Sachse Santiago Ramentol i Massana The crisis of the Mohammed cartoons in the European 27 Union and the Mediterranean: contexts, reactions and media Director: Alain Blomart Josep Gifreu Between humour and uproar: satire and the view 37 of the west in the media of the Arab-Muslim world Executive director: José María Perceval Maria Corominas The Cartoons Controversy and the Danish Press 47 Mustafa Hussain General coordination: Mask-based fiction: the case of Polònia in Catalonia 59 Sylvia Montilla Jordi Balló Infosatire and democratisation on television 63 Sections: José Luis Valhondo Martí Petit (Books Review, Journals Review and Political satire in Italy: a successful television genre 71 Webs Review) Rossend Domènech Political satire in Germany: from the political Kabarett 79 Translation: of the thirties to Comedy TV Tracy Byrne Gemma Casadevall West Wing or Left Wing? The pedagogy of politics 87 Page Layout: in the masterly series of the United States Yago Díaz Vicent Partal Free speech and its limits 93 Legal diposit book: B-17.999/98 Laura Díez Bueso ISSN: 1138-9761 .Observatory The dysfunctional relationship between copyright 101 and cultural diversity Fiona Macmillan Catalonia Broadcasting Council The new professional profiles and multiskilling 111 of journalists in Catalonia: a map of the situation President: Josep Maria Carbonell Carlos Scolari, Héctor Navarro, Hugo Pardo Vice president: Jaume Serrats i Ollé and Josep Lluís Micó Secretary: Dolors Comas d’Argemir i Cendra TV programming for consumers in miniature: advertising 121 Members of the Catalonia Broadcasting Council: Victòria for young children that speaks the language of adults Camps i Cervera, Rafael Jorba i Castellví, Núria Llorach i Mònika Jiménez Boladeras, Josep Micaló i Aliu, Santiago Ramentol i Massana, Fernando Rodríguez Madero, Domènec Agenda Sesmilo i Rius . General secretary: Jordi Pericàs i Torguet Critical Books Review 133 Books Review 145 Journals Review 147 Entença, 321 08029 Barcelona Webs Review 149 Tel. 93 363 25 25 - Fax 93 363 24 78 [email protected] Generalitat de Catalunya www.cac.cat 1 Contents Introduction Can the media circulate any image in the public sphere by invoking free speech? Are there no potentially offensive images that should be regulated or avoided, or even banned? Where should the limits to free speech be placed in the specific field of publicising images? The laws governing images of public interest, especially those regarding religion, cultures and the activities of politicians, go to make up one of the most controversial and complex issues in the world of global communication. The controversy that arose on the publication in Denmark of the Mohammed cartoons continues to generate debate and concern. On the other hand, at a local level, television and Internet exploit political satire to the maxi- mum. The aim of the Quaderns del CAC is to highlight the difficult relationship between "Image and the right to ridicule", borrowing the apt expression of legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin. This collection of articles focuses on the two areas mentioned: an analysis and reflection of the crisis of the Mohammed cartoons after two years, and a partial map of political ridicule on television in essentially European contexts. Victòria Camps starts this edition with the article “Offence and free speech” and places the problem within the context of the ethics of responsibility. The first block of this edition is made up of four articles on the effects of the Mohammed images: Daniel Gamper Sachse reminds us of the origins of the controversy (“Free speech in tolerant society: the case of the Mohammed cartoons”); Alain Blomart investigates the effect in Europe and the Mediterra- nean (“The crisis of the Mohammed cartoons in the European Union and the Mediterranean: contexts, reactions and media”); José María Perceval provides us with the opposite view (“Between humour and uproar: satire and vision of the west in the media of the Arab-Muslim world”); and Mustafa Hussain dissects the debate in Denmark (“The controversy of the Mohammed cartoons and the media in Denmark”). The second block is dedicated to an analysis of political ridicule on television and includes the case studies by Jordi Balló (“The fiction of the mask: the case of Polònia in Catalonia”), by José Luis Valhondo (“Infosatire and democratisation on television: the Spanish case”), by Rossend Domènech (“Political satire in Italy: a successful television genre”), by Gemma Casadevall (“Political satire in Germany: from the political Kabarett of the thirties to Comedy TV”) and by Vicent Partal (“West Wing or Left Wing? The pedagogy of politics in the masterly series of the United States”). Laura Díez Bueso closes the edition with a general legal study (“Free speech and its limits”). As a complement, we should also note the selection of websites related to this edition in the subsection "Journal of websites”. Finally, the section entitled "Observatory" includes three collaborations of great interest: Fiona Macmillan argues “The dysfunctional relationship between copyright and cultural diversity”; Carlos Scolari, Héctor Navarro, Hugo Pardo and Josep Lluís Micó summarise the study entitled “The new professional profiles and multiskilling of journalists in Catalonia”; and Mònika Jiménez presents “TV programming for consumers in miniature: advertising for young children that speaks the language of adults”. Josep Gifreu Director 2 Introduction Offence and free speech Victòria Camps . Offence has become one of the fundamental causes 1. The meaning of offence of concern and discontentment regarding the content on radio, television and the media in general. In this Protests and complaints are increasingly more frequent article we discuss the difficulties of evaluating offence from people and political or social groups due to ex- ethically, deriving both from the fact that it depends pressions or images they consider to be offensive. The most on the subjectivity of each person and also from the notable number of complaints received by the Catalonia conflict arising when criticism and limitations to offen- Broadcasting Council is categorised under the title of ce are perceived as censorship and a violation of the "Offensive content". Of note within this category, which is right to freedom of expression or free speech. The fundamentally not very precise, are those programmes, author believes that defending free speech cannot be language and images perceived as discriminatory, generally separated from the demand for responsibility. Espe- for gender or ethnic reasons, inappropriate references to cially those who enjoy the right to express them- religions and anything that seems opposed to the principle selves freely more directly because they are media of protecting children. Not only the Catalonia Broadcasting professionals are obliged to ensure that what they are Council receives complaints from people and groups who saying also preserves the fundamental values of feel offended for these reasons, but sections of the press community life and public spirit. that are open to citizen participation, such as letters to the editor or defence of the reader, also publicise constant reprimands of how people have expressed themselves when this is perceived to be lacking in respect and, in short, incorrect. It doesn't matter if the context is a news or chat Keywords programme, a debate or entertainment show, it doesn't Ethics, political philosophy, free speech, respon- matter whether the content is serious or fun... Whatever its sibility. nature, people are becoming increasingly intolerant of criticism, sarcasm or a sense of humour when they feel they are being directly or indirectly referred to and it touches their most sensitive spot. Or perhaps it's not a question of intolerance, perhaps it's that not even criticism, nor satire, nor witticisms are what they used to be and have become pure insult, lacking in the respect that anyone deserves. Offence is an act that is almost impossible to objectify. In fact, we can only say that offence has occurred when some- one feels offended. The dictionary does not define offence independently of the offended person: offending someone is Victòria Camps to injure their feelings, their dignity. We know that feelings Member of the Catalonia Broadcasting Council have always opposed reason and that they assign a per- 3 Monographic: Offence and free speech son's less controllable attitudes and reactions. We can have example closer to our own traditions, had a clear and or no longer have feelings, but we cannot always master, precise meaning four or five centuries ago. Today, perhaps, control or prevent them. It's difficult, if not impossible, to it only has meaning in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. Outside convince a person who feels injured that they are wrong. We closed and highly specific spheres, it would be very difficult may adduce that there was no intention or will to offend, but for us to determine which facts or events make someone we cannot deny that offence has occurred. Feelings are lose honour. In short, then, we may say that a series of personal and non-transferable. With regard to dignity, which circumstances have led to offence becoming more is also considered liable to be offended, we're talking about subjective, among others: social heterogeneity, pluralism of a value that is assumed for any person merely due to the points of view, lack of stable references, lack of canonical fact of being a person, which does not mean that dignity is criteria to distinguish between what is right and wrong and an objectifiable trait that can be summarised into a list of what injures and what doesn't.