OSCE Mission in Kosovo helps promote media self-regulation

A regional conference on media self-regulation for press councils, media institutions, journalists’ associations and academia organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo concluded on 2 December 2011 in Prishtinë/Priština.

Representatives of these institutions and organizations in Kosovo, as well as participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom identified best practices in securing the financial independence of self-regulatory bodies and adopted a declaration on co-operation to protect media from censorship.

“Self-regulation increases the accountability of print media and helps protect freedom of expression as a democratic standard and fundamental freedom,” said the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Edward Joseph. “If media do not regulate themselves someone else might do it for them, and if no one regulates the media then it stands a chance of losing credibility.”

Conference participants pointed out that adherence to journalism ethics and press codes are prerequisites for media independence and professional development, and called for the further establishment of self-regulatory bodies for the print media, as well as for decriminalization of defamation in the region.

“There has to be a code which prevents political interference in the media and at the same time serves as a protective element from a potential professional mistake by media themselves. We need to respect the code if media is to have credibility,” said Agron Bajrami, the Editor-in-Chief of Koha Ditore, a Prishtinë/Priština-based daily, and a Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) board member.

The concept of print media self-regulation is new in the region. The PCK, established with the OSCE Mission’s assistance in 2005, now includes most of Kosovo print media, as well as a few online media, and works to ensure adherence to the Press Code of Kosovo.

The OSCE Mission promotes the development of free and professional media and media institutions in Kosovo.