Overall Objective
The overall objective of this project is to ensure that press and media councils play a significant role in Europe in addressing the new challenges of the digital age. This presumes a recognition of their expertise in supervising journalistic professional standards and in providing a media accountability mechanisms offline and online.
This project aims to support the European model of media self-regulation as a major part of a general strategy to protect media freedom and encourage professionalism in journalistic content, while gaining a better understanding of the consequences and challenges of digital developments for press and media councils. In parallel, the project will support the adaptation of media self-regulatory bodies to the online world and engage them in discussions with relevant international stakeholders to address new digital issues such as disinformation, misinformation and decreasing trust in traditional media. Furthermore, the project shall stimulate the specific role of press councils among journalists and the general public.
Specific Objectives
- Inform the international community on the detailed functioning and role of press and media councils in Europe, in the digital age, through surveys and the creation of an online platform to share results and best practices;
- Improve the recognition of press and media councils’ role and media self-regulation benefits in general, in particular in light of the importance to ensure compliance to journalistic ethics in print, broadcast and online media and ensure trust in professional journalism at the time of disinformation;
- Provide access and direct contact to European press and media councils for targeted demands of support from external actors wishing to learn from press and media councils, their added-value and their functioning, but also demands of supports for the creation of new media councils, with the possibility to provide direct financial support where needed;
- Contribute with relevant expertise to the global dialogue on ethical and professional journalistic standards in the digital age (including matters related to social media, artificial intelligence and news automation in journalism).
Results & Activities
Result 1: Mapping and dissemination of existing knowledge on the role and functioning of press and media councils in the digital era
- Activity 1.1. Survey of the role and functioning of existing press and media councils in Europe, in order to analyse the state of play and models of media self-regulation in the digital environment in the member and candidate member states of the EU.
- Activity 1.2 Collect and analyse data for the first online database on the current functioning of media self-regulatory bodies in Europe
- Activity 1.3 Creation of a website to promote the services, values and codes of press and media councils in Europe:
Result 2: New knowledge about the role and functioning of press and media councils in the digital era
- Activity 2.1. conducting a survey among students in journalism and young journalists on ethical stakes in contemporary journalism
- Activity 2.2. Conducting a survey among professional journalists and media companies about self-regulation bodies and challenges of digital.
- Activity 2.3. Research on how ethical guidelines of media councils could and should address news automation.
Result 3: Exchange of best practices on media self-regulation
- Activity 3.1. Creation of a pan-European working group
- Activity 3.2 Creation of MIL (Media and Information Literacy) materials with teaching resources on media ethics and self-regulation
- Activity 3.3. Social media campaign to promote media self-regulation in Europe
- Activity.3.4. Production of a handbook of best practices on how media councils adapt to the digital age
- Activity 3.5. European forum on contemporary stakes of journalists' ethics in a digital interactive media environment.
Result 4: Support to press councils in need
- Activity 4.1. Direct financial support to press councils
- Activity 4.2. Direct financial support to new media council
Result 5: Raising the voice of press and media councils in an International and European context
- Activity 5.1. Conference at the European Parliament with MEPs and relevant stakeholders
- Activity 5.2. The presentation of the best practices at 2020 World Press Freedom Day
- Activity 5.3. Consultation meeting with the members of the Journalism Trust Initiative,
- Activity 5.4. Helping participation in global dialogue
