Activity Details (ID# 15813)

Activity Synopsis

The seminar aimed to:
-raise awareness amongst media professionals on the relevant European and international standards on defamation
-raise awareness on the rights and responsibilities of journalists
-have an exchange of opinions regarding the necessary steps to be taken to improve the quality and professionalism of journalists in Russia. 

During the discussions the participants agreed that it was not only the pressure from political or economic powers that is behind the rising number of prosecutions for defamation in Russia but that a lack of professionalism amongst some journalists had also contributed to this trend. In this context the journalists also deplored the fact that there is no one media self-regulation code that has been adopted by all Russian media or an authority that could oversee the implementation of this code. Further, neither the Russian employment law nor the media law apparently offer sufficient protection to journalists, in particular against the instrumentalisation of television channels by their owners, amongst which most prominently figures the state itself.

The Council of Europe experts presented the international and Council of Europe standards on media self-regulation, standards on defamation and the rights and responsibilities of journalists. They placed a particular emphasis on the principles of the European Court of Human Rights as regards freedom of expression and the criticism of politicians, the presumption of innocence, the right to private life, the independence of the judiciary etc.

The local expert, a lawyer at the Moscow Bar, set forth national rules and laws on defamation making reference to recent Russian case-law. 

The participants agreed that self-censorship is still a major obstacle to freedom of expression in Russia and were very eager to learn about their rights and how to avoid defamation without holding back legitimate criticism. However, much more awareness training has to be done amongst the journalists in Yekaterinburg and other parts of Russia to ensure quality journalism and avoid self-censorship in the Russian media.

It was also evident from the seminar that there is an urgent need for the Russian media to make sure that the media adopt and set in place self-regulatory mechanisms. 

journalists, editors, lawyers from Yekaterinburg and the surrounding regions 

Mr Pyotr Fyodorov, journalist, Head of the Russian Language Team, Euronews 

Ms Anna Stepanova, Department for the Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, Council of Europe