European Federation of Journalists

Media Councils in the Digital Age

The digital revolution is largely impacting the way journalists and media are producing and sharing news content. In this changing media landscape, self-regulatory bodies, which were created before the digital revolution for most of them, must adapt to the involving environment.

This project aims at highlighting the important role of press and media councils in times of decreasing trust towards journalists and media outlets combined with increasing disinformation on new media. It will look at the digital challenges through 4 main components: academic work to provide data and analysis regarding existing press councils, awareness campaign to promote media self-regulation, visibility and exchanges of media councils’ works on the international scene and strengthening of existing organisations or support to future organisations.

Project’s website

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 project aims to support the European model of media self-regulation as a major part of a 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.

Specific Objectives

1 – 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;

2- 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;

3- 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;

4- 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).

Actions

European press councils stand out as key players to face political interference, disinformation and confidence crisis in media

Are press councils the last defences against the falling confidence in journalism? On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Belgian French press council (Conseil de déontologie journalistique – CDJ) organised a European forum in Brussels, on 21-22 January, to raise awareness about the role of press councils. The event addressed in particular, on a panel, the stakes of ethics dealing with political interference and pressure on journalists. Threats on journalists are increasing in Europe under various forms while greatly impacting media freedom, reminded Ernest Sagaga, Head of Human Rights at the International Federation of Journalists. The Council of Europe…

North Macedonia: EFJ welcomes initiative aiming to strengthen self-regulation

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed today the registry on self-regulation of online media in North Macedonia, which was announced yesterday by the Council of Media Ethics (CMEM) together with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM). “We believe that journalists’ organisations should promote for the public benefit high ethical standards in journalism, based on five principles: truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and honesty, humanity, and accountability,” said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “That is why the EFJ supports this professional initiative aiming to strenghten media self-regulation in North Macedonia.” The initiative will promote self-regulation of online media by…

Invitation to the European Forum on self-regulation in the digital age (Brussels, 21-22 January 2020)

The Belgian Press Council (Conseil de déontologie journalistique – CDJ) invites you to a European interactive forum on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, to take place in Brussels on 21-22 January 2020. It will bring together media, journalists, press councils, journalists’ unions and associations and will address challenges of journalistic self-regulation in the digital age. Press councils and self-regulatory mechanisms – usually tripartite involving journalists, media representatives and the civil society – plays an ever-important role in upholding standards in journalism while preventing state intervention through media regulations. The forum will raise awareness about the added-value of self-regulation and…

Call for proposals for Press and Media Councils in the European Union

The European Federation of Journalists together with its partners is seeking project proposals on initiatives to support activities of existing media self-regulation bodies. The objective of this call for financial support is to strengthen the capacities of self-regulatory bodies through support for their initiatives (1) on advocating, promoting and improving media freedom by preventing or avoiding government regulation through self-regulation ; (2) on promoting and improving ethical journalism ; (3) on offering and organising a body or complaint mechanism where citizens and organizations can make a complaint if they believe there is a violation of journalistic ethics. This call for proposals…

Launch of the Pilot project ‘Media Councils in the Digital Age’

When journalists are playing a public watchdog role, who is making sure that journalists and media organisations adhere to their standards and ethics? With the digital transformation in the media and the widespread of disinformation, media self-regulatory framework plays an ever-important role in upholding standards in journalism while preventing state intervention through media regulations to stifle media freedom. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) together with a consortium of six European press councils and two universities journalists have launched a project “Media Councils in the Digital Age” with the aims to support the European models of media self-regulation through a network…

Media Councils in the Digital Age

The digital revolution is largely impacting the way journalists and media are producing and sharing news content. In this changing media landscape, self-regulatory bodies, which were created before the digital revolution for most of them, must adapt to the involving environment. This project aims at highlighting the important role of press and media councils in times of decreasing trust towards journalists and media outlets combined with increasing disinformation on new media. It will look at the digital challenges through 4 main components: academic work to provide data and analysis regarding existing press councils, awareness campaign to promote media self-regulation, visibility…