DOCUMENT RESUME ED 365 308 IR 016 489 AUTHOR Sparks, Colin, Ed. TITLE New Communication Technologies: A Challenge for Press Freedom. No. 106. Reports and Papers on Mass Communication. INSTITUTION United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). REPORT NO ISBN-92-3-102519-8 PUB DATE 15 Nov 91 NOTE 109p. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Case Studies; *Censorship; *Communications; Democracy; Foreign Countries; *Freedom of Information; Freedom of Speech; *Information Technology; Journalism Education; *Mass Media; Mass Media Role; News Media; Questionnaires; Videotape Cassettes IDENTIFIERS Africa (Sub Sahara); Chile; Europe; Ghana; North America; Sweden; Teacher Surveys ABSTRACT This volume enlarges upon questions concerning censorship and self-censorship and provides case studies as well as theoretical reflection on the relationship between new technology and media freedom. The seven essays included in this collection deal with two central contemporary problems of the mass media--freedom and democracy. The papers are: "Exit the Censor, Enter the Regulator" (Leonard R. Sussman); "Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies on Information Diversity in North America and Western Europe" (Nicholas Garnham); "The Impact of Electronic Mass Media in Sweden" (Charly Hulten); "Video-Cassette Recorders in Ghana: Impact on Press Freedom in Sub-Saharan Africa" (S. T. Kwame Boafo); "New Communication Technologies and Information Freedom in Latin America" (Rafael Roncagliolo); "New Communication Technologies and Press Freedom: A Chilean Case Study" (Fernando Reyes Matta); and "The Media as Fourth Estate: A Survey of Journalism Educators' Views" (Colin Sparks and Slavko Splichal). The first three papers are concerned with the larger picture and the larger media; the second three are concerned with the "marginal" rather than the dominant media; and the final paper deals with some of the problems of the media and democracy in terms of their staff and resources. (TMK) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** No. 106 New Communication Technologies: a challenge for Press Freedom U.S. DEPAPTMENT Of EDUCATION Office ot Educational Roswell and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES S INFORMATION CENTERERIC) 0 This document nes been reproduced as received horn the perSOrt or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Ouatity Points ot view or opini ons spited n this docu. men do not necessenly represent official OERI position or pOtCy C O 0 E E O co 2as C O 0. Cu so C cv 0. MC) "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS MATERIAL HAS BEENGRANTED BY F. Zanuttini tfeerj) BEST COPY AVAILABLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL 02 RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTERIERICI." 15 November 1991 REPORTS AND PAPERS ON MASS COMMUNICATION Request for permission to reproduce the Reports in full or in part should be addressed to the UNESCO Press. The following reports and papers have so far been issued and are obtainable from National Distributors of UNESCO Publications or from the Sector for Culture and Communication, Information and Informatics, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris. The following titles have been published in English and French. Titles marked with an asterisk are also published in Spanish, those marked 'a'inArabic, and the one marked 'r' in Russian. Number Number 50 Television and the social education of women, 1967 80 Media studies in education, 1977 51 An African experiment in radio forums for rural development. '81 External radio broadcasting and international Ghana, 1964/1965, 1968 understanding, 1977 52 Book development in Asia. A report on the production and '83 National communication policy councils, 1979 distribution of books in the region, 1967 '84 Mass Media: The image, role and social condition of 53 Communication satellites for education, science and women, 1979 culture, 1967. '85 New values and principles of cross-cultural 54 8mm film for adult audiences, 1968 communication, 1979 55 Television for higher technical education of the employed. A 86 Mass Media. Codesof ethics and councils, 1980 first report on a pilot project in Poland, 1969 87 Communication in the community, 1980 56 Book development in Africa. Problems and perspectives. 1969. '88 Rural journalism in Africa, 1981 57 Script writing for short films. 1969 '89 The SACl/EXTERN project in Brazil: An analytical case 58 Removing taxes on knowledge, 1969 study, 1981 59 Mass Media in society. The need of research, 1970 '90 Community communications the role of community 60 Broadcasting from space, 1970 media in development, 1981 61 Principles of cultural co-operation. 1970 91 The S.I.T.E. experience, 1981 62 Radio and television in literacy, 1971 V. Transnational communication and cultural industries, 1982. 63 The Mass Media in a violent world, 1971 '93 Foreign News in the Media: International Reporting in 64 The role of film in development, 1971 29 countries 65 The practice of mass communication: some lessons from r, a '94 The right to communicate: A status report, 1982 research, 1972 a '95 Development of communication in the Arab States: Needs 66 A guide to satellite communication, 1972 and priorities, 1985 67 Television for higher technical education of workers. Final '97 Mass communications and the advertising industry report on a pilot proje..c:t in Poland, 1973 '98 The new international economic order: links between 68 Cinematographic institutions, 1973 economics and communications 69 Mass Media in an African context, 1973 99 International Flow of Information: A Global Report and '70 Television traffica one-way street?, 1974 Analysis 71 Anatomy of an international year, Book Year, 1972-1974 100 International Flow of Television Programmes, 1985 72 Promoting the reading habit, 1975 '101 Communication, Technology and Development, 1988 73 Training for mass communication, 1975 102 Violence and Terror in the Mass Media, 1988 '74 National communication systems. Some policy issue and '103 The Vigilant Press: a collection of case-studies, 1989 options, 1975 *104 Import/Export: International Flow of Television Fiction, 75 Technology and access communications media, 1975 1990 *76 Towards realistic communication policies, 1976 "105 New Communication Technologies: Research Trends. 1991 '77 Cross-cultural broadcasting, 1976 *106 New Communication Technologies: a Challenge for Press '78 Planning for satellite broadcasting Freedom, 1991 '79 The economics of book publishing in developing countries. 1977 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 03 No. 106 New Communication Technologies: a Challenge for Press Freedom Edited by Colin Sparks, School of Communication, Polytechnic of Central London, United Kingdom UNESCO 04 ISBN 92-3-102519-8 Published in 1991 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, France Printed in the workshops of UNESCO © UNESCO 1991 Printed in France Preface Press freedom, media independence and informationplural- But the practice of media freedom needs a firm theoreti- for ism are among the concerns most strongly highlighted by cal base, and the Third Medium-Term Plan also called UNESCO's Third Medium-Term Plan for 1990-1995. studies on 'the impact of new communication technologies When it was adopted by the twenty-fifth session of the on information pluralism and mediapractice'. It is the out- this issue of the UNESCO General Conference in November 1989, the ob- come of these studies that is reflected in (RPMC) jective of the Medium-Term Plan's communication pro- Reports and Papers on Mass Communication gramme was summarized as follows: series. The volume enlarges upon a number of the questions already tackled To render more operational the concern of the Organization to concemmg censorship and self-censorship in The Vigilant Press (RPMC, No. 103), and provides case - ensure a free flow of information at international aswell as national relationship levels, and its wider and better balanced dissemination,without studies as well as theoretical reflection on the any obstacle to the freedom of expression,and to strengthen com- between new technology and media freedom. The new com- munication capacities in the developing countries, so that they may munication technologies, themselves the subject of a recent participate more actively in the communication process. issue in this series entitled New CommunicationTechno- logies: Research Trends (RPMC, No. 105), haverevived i.e. whether In practical terms, this new focus was put to the test earlyin and sharpened interest in a perennial problem, the 1990 when UNESCO, reacting promptly to developmentsin the new technologies increase freedom and choice or, on Eastern Europe, organized an informal meeting grouping contrary, facilitate control and conformity. journalists and editors from Eastern and Western Europe to The work has been edited by Dr Colin Sparks, Professor discuss how independent media could be assistedin the at the Polytechnic of Central Londonand an editor of Media, He East. The follow-up to that meeting featured such areas as Culture and Society, a leading communication journal. technology transfer, professional training and advice on has also co-authored the survey in the present workof the the