<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;charset=UTF-8>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.6082" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<H3>WACC calls on communicators to use digital media responsibly and
ethically</H3>
<P><EM>To commemorate World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2011, the World Association
for Christian Communication (WACC) is calling on communicators to use new media
responsibly in order to strengthen press freedom and communication rights
worldwide. Open access to the Internet, social networks, and new-generation
digital devices raise significant concerns related to accountability, privacy,
and security, says WACC in a statement issued from its Toronto office.</EM></P>
<P><STRONG>Full statement....</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG><EM>“21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers</EM></STRONG>”
is the theme of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2011. The focus is on celebrating
the potential of digital technologies as well as established forms of journalism
to uphold the right to communicate, freedom of expression, democratic
governance, and sustainable development.</P>
<P>WACC calls on communicators from all walks of life – especially the so-called
Fourth and Fifth Estates – to exercise responsibility and accountability in
using 21st century media in order to strengthen press freedom and communication
rights worldwide.</P>
<P>The growth of the Internet and social media have greatly increased the
ability of individuals, citizen journalists, and civil society organizations to
enhance their right to seek, receive, and impart information as recognized by
international human rights standards. Digital media platforms have made it
possible for almost anyone to voice their concerns to large audiences and
perhaps to be heard.</P>
<P>In many parts of the world, and as recently been witnessed in particular in
the countries of the Middle East, bloggers and tweeters are challenging
authorities, exposing corruption, and offering alternative viewpoints. As a
result, new ways of communicating have enriched news and information resources
and reshaped what was traditionally the realm of professional journalism
expressed in newspapers and magazines, on radio and television.</P>
<P>However, even as political, social, and cultural barriers are being overcome
through the use of 21st century media, new ones are developed in attempts to
block, filter, and censor information and knowledge. Simultaneously, open access
to the Internet, social networks, and new-generation digital devices raise
significant concerns related to accountability, privacy, and security.</P>
<P>WACC recognizes that the right to communicate and freedom of expression are
central to building strong democracies, contributing to good governance,
promoting the rule of law, and enabling sustainable development through
participatory communication. At the same time, WACC is concerned that
communicators understand and apply ethical codes of practice both formally and
informally when communicating their concerns.</P>
<P>The Chairperson of WACC’s Middle East Region, Dr Riad Jarjour, has said that,
“What happened in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, and other countries has underscored the
role of media and freedom of expression in shaping our communities and the
future of our society. We are experiencing significant transformation in the
region and inevitably we now have to focus more on the role of the media and
peace journalism.”</P>
<P>The challenge is to optimize the potential of digital media while not
compromising political and civil liberties Likewise, governments and regulators
need to respond to civil society’s calls for open and affordable access to mass
and community media. The world is immeasurably poorer without communication
rights and press freedom. It is immeasurably enriched by the free flow of
information and knowledge, which are the lifeblood of
democracy.<BR><BR>-----------------------</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P></BODY></HTML>