[Media Caucus] Media paragraph in CS benchmarks

[John Barker]

I agree with Steve's assesment. A19 could not support the privatisation
position andwould be more specific concerning anti-monopoly measures.

How can we move on this, tracey is busy on other things at the moment but
suggestwe develop a new form of wording agree on the list and submit to CS group.

John B


> Dear all
>
> Sorry to have missed the last two days in Geneva. Some great outputs
> from  civil society, but...
>
> Please could someone explain how the proposal that state controlled
> media  should be privatised, found its way into a civil society
> statement of  "non-negotiables". This has never been a position of the
> media caucus.
>
> The form of words also weakens the media caucus commitment to media
> pluralism. The form of words agreed at Prepcom 3 was "pluralism and
> diversity of media ownership should be guaranteed through appropriate
> laws  to hinder the abuse of media ownership concentration". The new
> texts only  suggest "efforts... must be encouraged to avoid excessive
> media concentration"
>
> Who submitted this proposal and with what authority? It sounds like a
> statement from the private sector. Was it sent to the media caucus list
> for  comments, or to the civil society content and themes list?
>
> See below.
>
> Steve
>
>
> 9.2     Media
> While allowing for government information services to communicate their
>  message, state-controlled media at the national level should be
> transformed  into editorially independent public service media
> organisations and/or  privatised. Efforts which encourage pluralism and
> diversity of media  ownership must be encouraged to avoid excessive
> media concentration
>
> Full text (Civil society benchmarks) www.geneva2003.org
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>            steve at commedia.org.uk
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>         http://www.commedia.org.uk
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
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