Newsroom
Consultations continue on codes of conduct for Kosovo media
Pristina 30 June 2000
PRISTINA, 30 June 2000 - The Kosovo Media Policy Advisory Board, a Kosovar body which meets under the auspices of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, has held its second consultative meeting this month on the draft Codes of Conduct for the print and broadcast media in Kosovo. Opinions and suggestions on the code were sought from the Association of the Media of Kosovo who attended the meeting.
The meeting was chaired by OSCE Ambassador Daan Everts and was attended by Douglas Davidson, the Temporary Media Commissioner and the co-Head of the Department of Democratic Governance and Civil Society, Vjosa Dobruna.
The codes remain under discussion and in draft. They are based on existing European standards of journalistic practice.
The Code of Conduct for the Printed Media establishes not only obligations for the print media but also rights. These rights include the "right of freedom of opinion and expression" and the "right to receive and impart information and ideas."
These rights are set out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is itself included as a section of the Code.
The Code, which confirms the right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources, also sets out obligations as defined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is also a section of this Code.
Article 10 defines as reasonable limitations on the freedom of information strictures based on concerns about: "public safety, prevention of disorder or crime, protection of health or morals, protection of the reputation or the rights of others, or maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."
Those other sections of the Code are generally accepted norms which are contained in many European codes. They include requirements for fairness and accuracy, for distinguishing news from commentary, and for not promoting exclusively the interests of a single political party or point of view. They also enjoin journalists not to use their own position for personal gain, as well as not to use information that could reasonably be known to be false or deceptive.
The draft Code of Conduct for the Printed Media, again in common with European norms, also guarantees a right of reply under reasonable circumstances.
The Broadcast Code of Conduct is essentially the same as the Print Code. But there must be a commitment to honour the Code as a condition for receiving a broadcasting license. Requiring broadcasters to adhere to a Code of Conduct as a condition for receiving a license is a normal practice in many democracies. This is because broadcast frequencies are limited in number and belong to the people of a country or region. Obtaining the exclusive right to use a frequency therefore carries with it the obligation to behave in ways that uphold standards of civility and respect for the people of a country or region.
Both Regulations provide for an appeal against any sanction that may be imposed for violation of the Code. In addition the Regulation on the Printed Media is explicitly temporary. It will remain in force only until the "establishment of effective, professional self-regulation by the print media."
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is also preparing a new, comprehensive draft law on broadcasting to replace Regulation 2000/36. Among other things, this new draft will create a media regulatory authority and a public broadcasting service for Kosovo, both independent of government control. The draft regulation envisions that the Broadcast Code of Practice issued by this new broadcast regulatory authority, however, will remain substantially the same.
The OSCE wants to see the development of a democratic responsible media in Kosovo. It is working closely with Kosovar journalists, as well as international experts, to try to ensure that this happens. The OSCE sees such a democratic media as a fundamental part of a democratic society.
For further information, contact Press and Public Information of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: +381 38 500 162 ext. 118, 218, 260, 342. Satphone: 871 762 009 948. Fax: +381 38 500 188. Satfax: 871 382 425 022.
The meeting was chaired by OSCE Ambassador Daan Everts and was attended by Douglas Davidson, the Temporary Media Commissioner and the co-Head of the Department of Democratic Governance and Civil Society, Vjosa Dobruna.
The codes remain under discussion and in draft. They are based on existing European standards of journalistic practice.
The Code of Conduct for the Printed Media establishes not only obligations for the print media but also rights. These rights include the "right of freedom of opinion and expression" and the "right to receive and impart information and ideas."
These rights are set out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is itself included as a section of the Code.
The Code, which confirms the right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources, also sets out obligations as defined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is also a section of this Code.
Article 10 defines as reasonable limitations on the freedom of information strictures based on concerns about: "public safety, prevention of disorder or crime, protection of health or morals, protection of the reputation or the rights of others, or maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."
Those other sections of the Code are generally accepted norms which are contained in many European codes. They include requirements for fairness and accuracy, for distinguishing news from commentary, and for not promoting exclusively the interests of a single political party or point of view. They also enjoin journalists not to use their own position for personal gain, as well as not to use information that could reasonably be known to be false or deceptive.
The draft Code of Conduct for the Printed Media, again in common with European norms, also guarantees a right of reply under reasonable circumstances.
The Broadcast Code of Conduct is essentially the same as the Print Code. But there must be a commitment to honour the Code as a condition for receiving a broadcasting license. Requiring broadcasters to adhere to a Code of Conduct as a condition for receiving a license is a normal practice in many democracies. This is because broadcast frequencies are limited in number and belong to the people of a country or region. Obtaining the exclusive right to use a frequency therefore carries with it the obligation to behave in ways that uphold standards of civility and respect for the people of a country or region.
Both Regulations provide for an appeal against any sanction that may be imposed for violation of the Code. In addition the Regulation on the Printed Media is explicitly temporary. It will remain in force only until the "establishment of effective, professional self-regulation by the print media."
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is also preparing a new, comprehensive draft law on broadcasting to replace Regulation 2000/36. Among other things, this new draft will create a media regulatory authority and a public broadcasting service for Kosovo, both independent of government control. The draft regulation envisions that the Broadcast Code of Practice issued by this new broadcast regulatory authority, however, will remain substantially the same.
The OSCE wants to see the development of a democratic responsible media in Kosovo. It is working closely with Kosovar journalists, as well as international experts, to try to ensure that this happens. The OSCE sees such a democratic media as a fundamental part of a democratic society.
For further information, contact Press and Public Information of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: +381 38 500 162 ext. 118, 218, 260, 342. Satphone: 871 762 009 948. Fax: +381 38 500 188. Satfax: 871 382 425 022.