Leaks, Streams, Floods
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Leaks, Streams, Floods Report of the Commission on Media Policy: Chaired by Ellen Mickiewicz Erhard Busek James R. Shepley Professor of President, European Forum Alpbach Public Policy Studies and Professor of Political Science, Duke University Rapporteur – Craig LaMay, Northwestern University October 28-29, 2011 Vienna, Austria European Forum Alpbach Invalidenstrasse 5/7 A-1030 Vienna Phone: 43-1-718171114 Fax: 43-1-7181701 www.alpbach.org ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the following contributors for their support of this meeting: ORF, Österreichischer Rundfunk (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) for hosting the meeting and providing professional assistance, and the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy at Duke University. We would also like to thank the City of Vienna, Styria Media Group AG and ERSTE Foundation. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS . Introductions .............................................................................................................. 4 . Commission on Media Policy: Participants ................................................................ 6 . “Leaks, Streams, Floods” — Report of the Meeting of the Commission on Media Policy ........................................................................................................................ 8 . Policy Recommendations ........................................................................................ 16 . About the Commission on Media Policy................................................................... 17 . About the European Alpbach Forum........................................................................ 19 3 INTRODUCTION DR. ELLEN MICKIEWICZ JAMES R. SHEPLEY PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY STUDIES AND PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, DUKE UNIVERSITY The Commission on Media Policy had, perhaps, its most vigorous and urgent meeting in 2011. Concern about the flood of materials in newsrooms and for journalists and media directors all over the represented countries was palpable. I say “flood of materials”, because, as the participants made clear, this flood may or may not be “information” at all. There was not a participants who was unaffected by the new and severe tests they now had to undergo. Leaks are pouring in; counterfeit Facebook pages purport to tell hidden stories of great moment. The two days spent at this most important meeting addressed this burden, or is it opportunity, or is it an investigative starting point to be taken very seriously, indeed? It was clear from the beginning of our vivid discussions, that no organization of individual is spared the requirement of analyzing leaks and verifying them. However, how does one adequately verify such fast-moving tides in a competitive media world? Not many news organizations have the resources and tradition of the BBC, which now has large numbers of multi-lingual experts on call. In one case, when attempting to verify the report on the death of Osama Bin Laden, the BBC could call on a lip-reader who not only translated what people in the news were saying, but even what dialect they used. Few have the capacity of the BBC in this regard, yet all the participants are aware of the opportunities and dangers of so much “information” flooding the newsroom. For some, it was the motive of the leader that was most important, and from identification of the motive came clues to the veracity of the leaks. Some participants find that journalistic standards coupled with high politicization of the media, made the job of giving news to the public very difficult. The report that follows presents the full picture of this meeting and includes the recommendations. These recommendations are particularly important, I think, because of the world-wide need to do something about an uncontrollable resource in the new technologies that could be extremely important to the public the media serve, IF the public can count on reliability and honesty. It seems to me that this is the challenge of the coming decades. What we are experiencing now may be only a few drops of the real flood to follow. We could not have done this work with these distinguished participants without the much appreciated support of ORF, the Austrian Broadcasting Company, the ERSTE Foundation, the European Forum Alpbach, and the Sanford School of Public Policy of Duke University. To Patricia Mussi and Jennifer Wetl we owe so much of what happened and thank her for her apparently effortless organization of this complex meeting. We are most grateful to Rudi Fehrmann and Verena Machart at ORF for their 4 able support and perfect preparations. Finally, and first, there is no way we can adequately recognize the superb work done by Craig LaMay, our rapporteur and expert participant. Although he was not able to come, Professor Ken Rogerson of Duke University, provided great help in the planning of the meeting. Foremost among any I would thank, would be, of course, my extraordinary Co-Director, Dr. Erhard Busek. INTRODUCTION DR. ERHARD BUSEK PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN FORUM ALPBACH The Commission on Media Policy has developed into a very important partner for many different individuals and organisations. First at all, the networking between the participants is outstanding. Secondly, the Commission’s work influences legislation and behaviour on the media question by focusing on the tremendous changes which our world is undergoing now. It is certainly a kind of mirror in which we can look to see what is going on. The 2011 event made it visible that it is a very sustainable activity which we have been doing for a very long time. The participants take obligations, they are not forced to come, but there is always a huge interest in joining this meeting, especially in 2011. The meeting not only mirrors what is going on in the medias in general and in different countries in particular, but it also shows in which way media and journalism have to handle the existing problems. One of the most important things is the exchange of experience in information, which shows that the quality of media in the region is developing – but it is necessary to focus on everything that is going on here. The way that we are getting a kind of neo-nationalism or old egoism in the different countries is also creating a lot of problems concerning mutual understanding. Media are a guarantee for being able to understand the other. It impressed me very much that all the participants are eager to meet again. The reason is not to have some nice days in Vienna but to have a personal exchange mutual knowledge about the responsibility of the media. In so far the Commission is serving a purpose, which is extremely important for the quality of democracy and the development of the global village. I have to say many thanks to those who are supporting these efforts, especially the Terry Sanford School of Duke University, the European Forum Alpbach, ERSTE Foundation and quite specially the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, which is greatly contributing the developments in Europe and taking on a truly European role. Also many thanks to the rapporteur, Craig LaMay, to Ken Rogerson and Patricia Mussi but especially to Ellen Mickiewicz, who is the backbone of our work. 5 COMMISSION ON MEDIA POLICY: LEAKS, STREAMS, FLOODS VIENNA, AUSTRIA OCTOBER 28-29, 2011 PARTICIPANTS CO-CHAIRS Erhard Busek President, European Forum Alpbach; Former Vice Chancellor of Austria Ellen Mickiewicz James R. Shepley Professor of Public Policy Studies, Duke University; Professor of Political Science, Duke University, USA PARTICIPANTS Gulnara Akhundova Head, Azerbaijan Media Center, Azerbaijan Agron Bajrami Editor-in-Chief, Koha Ditore, Kosovo Boris Bergant Former Vice President of the European Broadcasting Union; Media Adviser; President of the Board, South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), Slovenia George Chirita Romanian Association of Broadcasters, Romania Nuri M. Colakoglu President, Dogan Media International; Chairman and CEO, New Media Company (NMC); Chairman, HTV (Turkey’s Health and well being TV), Turkey Johann P. Fritz Former Director, International Press Institute, Austria Dusan Gajic Editor-in-Chief, South East Europe TV Exchanges (SEETV), Belgium David Gallagher Deputy technology editor, The New York Times, USA Drago Hedl Editor, Jutarnji List, Croatia Ryszard Holzer Head of the Business Section, Tygodnik Wprost, Poland Maja Hrgovic Journalist and Fiction Writer, Croatia Milorad Ivanovic Executive Editor, Novi magazin weekly, Serbia Carola Kaps Former economics correspondent, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Economics journalist, Belgium Omer Karabeg Journalist, Balkan Service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Czech Republic Fivos Karzis News Anchor and Producer, Athina 984, City of Athens Municipal Radio, Greece Petar Komnenic Editor, TV Vijesti, Montenegro Craig L. LaMay Commission Rapporteur; Associate Professor of Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, USA Radomir Licina Senior Editor and Member of the Board, DANAS, Serbia Patrick McCurdy Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Ottawa, Canada Anthony Mills Press Freedom & Communications Manager, International Press 6 Institute, Austria Pavol Múdry Vice-Chair, International Press Institute; Media Consultant, Media Communication Advisor, Slovakia Saso Ordanoski Director for Media and Public Affairs, VEVE Group, Macedonia Petar Pountchev CEO / DIRECTOR 95.8 RADIO 3, Serbia Paul Christian Radu Executive Director, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Romania Alina Radu-Mazureac Director, Ziarul