Activity Details (ID# 7559)

Activity Synopsis

The seminar had two main objectives: on the one hand, to present the CoE standards concerning media pluralism and transparency and give an overview of anti-concentration measures existing in several European countries, on the other, to debate the situation of the Russian media landscape with regard to media pluralism and transparency.

 

The seminar was well organised, although the attendance declined from 25 participants in the morning of the first day to 15 during the morning of the second day.

All participants received the Russian version of Recommendation R (99) 1 on measures to promote media pluralism and Recommendation R (94) 13 on transparency of media ownership.

The participants showed a great interest in the presentations made by the CoE experts. However, they expressed great pessimism as to the possibility to implement measures promoting media pluralism and transparency in the Russian Federation. From their point of view, the present political situation constituted the major obstacle to changes in the media field.

During the lively discussions, the participants exchanged their points of view on the long list of problems affecting the Russian media: the dominating power of public authorities over the media, especially electronic media, the lack of professionalism among journalists, the total lack of transparency of media ownership, the strong political resistance to the creation of a genuine public service broadcasting, the absence of a clear legal framework for the media, etc.

 

The participants were very pessimistic and not able to formulate any concrete proposal as a follow-up to the seminar.

 

Journalists of the St Petersburg Union of Journalists coming mostly from the regions

 

Dr David WARD, Senior Reserarch Fellow, University of Westminster, The U.K.
Mr Bernd MALZANINI, Director, Commission on Concentration in the Media (KEK), Potsdam, Germany
 

Alessia Sonaglioni, Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights