Activity Details (ID# 4987)

Activity Synopsis

The main objective of the seminar was to bring together for dialogue all interested parties in the mass media field and, more specifically, those directly involved with the issue of journalists’ rights. The event was an opportunity for detailed debates on concrete topics regarding the rights of journalists 

The seminar was covered by the main Romanian newspapers and TV stations. All debates were recorded by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society in order to be presented and analysed on their programmes dedicated to this event.

All participants received an information package specially designed for this seminar. The package included:
- Resolution No. 2 “Journalistic Freedoms and Human Rights” adopted by the 4th European Ministerial Conference on Mass Media Policy;
- Recommendation Rec(2002)2 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member states on access to official documents;
- Recommendation Rec(2002)7 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member states on the right of journalists not to disclose their sources of information;
- Media Accountability Systems – background paper provided by Prof. Claude-Jean Betrand, Council of Europe expert;
- An extract from the Romanian Law on free access to information of public interest (Law no. 544/2001).

The debates were interesting and lively, and focused in particular on topics such as relations between parliamentarians and journalists, duties and rights, rights of editors and journalists, the role of the National Audiovisual Council in supporting the rights of journalists and access to information of public interest.

For the first time, the Romanian Press Club and the main NGOs active in the mass media field were present at the same table discussing possible common solutions regarding the improvement of Romanian journalists’ working conditions.

 

The Romanian Press Club and the participating NGOs, which are the most important structures of civil society in the media field, decided to work together to draft a common code of conduct for journalists.

Taking into consideration the previous tense relations between these structures of civil society, this agreement could perhaps be considered as the most important result of the seminar.
 

Members of Parliament, experts from Parliament, journalists, media managers and owners, representatives of the National Audiovisual Council and of media-related NGOs, media researchers

 

Mr Claude-Jean Bertrand, Professor emeritus, Université de Paris II, France
Mr David Banisar, Visiting Research Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Leeds, UK
 

Ms Mariana Nitelea, Director, CoE Information Office in Bucharest