[Media Caucus] CS benchmarks doc

[Aidan White]

Thanks Steve,

I have no problem with this but I would suggest you delete the words
"hinder the abuse of" and insert "avoid excessive" regarding media
concentration. This keeps to the sense of what was agreed earlier.

Aidan

 
 
Aidan White
General Secretary
International Federation of Journalists
tel: 0032 2 235 2200
        0032 2 654 1016 (home)
        0032  (0) 478 258 669 GSM
e-mail: aidan.white at ifj.org
 

-----Original Message-----
From: media-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:media-admin at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf
Of Steve Buckley
Sent: mardi 25 novembre 2003 20:36
To: media at wsis-cs.org
Subject: [Media Caucus] CS benchmarks doc

Dear all

Work is going to be needed this week and next on the civil society draft

vision statement so we need to close discussion in the media caucus on
the 
civil society benchmarks document which sets out key non-negotiables.

The present draft paragraph reads:

"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."

In light of the discussion last week I propose this be replaced with:

"Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the
touchstone 
for an independent, pluralistic and free media. Media pluralism and 
diversity should be guaranteed through appropriate laws to hinder the
abuse 
of media concentration. State controlled media should be transformed
into 
editorially independent public service organisations. Security and other

considerations should not  compromise freedom of expression, media
freedom 
and access to information."

This does not cover all of the issues we may want to see in the final
civil 
society vision statement but the language is consistent with previous
media 
caucus wording and I think it covers the essentials for the civil
society 
benchmarks doc.

Any objections?

Steve


------------------------------------------------------------
            steve at commedia.org.uk
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         http://www.commedia.org.uk
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