"The aim of this research is to highlight the trajectory of media policy in Indonesia and to assess its impacts on the different forms of media themselves and on the citizens and their rights, particularly with regards to their media rights. Such rights, in this study, are referred to as the right t
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o access media infrastructure, to access trustworthy information and quality media content, and to participate in the media policymaking process." (Executive summary)
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"International law provides robust general protection for freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, and this has been subject to detailed elaboration by international human rights courts and other official bodies tasked with promoting human rights globally and regionally. For the media,
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some of the key implications of the right to freedom of expression are that the media should only be regulated where this is necessary to serve an overriding social interest and that such regulation should be undertaken only by bodies which are protected against political and commercial interference. Furthermore, an important goal of media regulation should be to foster and promote diversity in the media. International law also places clear limits on restrictions on what may be published or broadcast through the media, while also imposing a positive obligation on States to put in place systems to ensure that individuals can access information held by public bodies. All of the countries in the Arab world are in serious breach of all or most of these standards. While there has been some progress recently, particularly in terms of respect for freedom of expression in practice, the need for comprehensive media law reform in the region remains pressing and very substantial. Unless structural protection for media freedom is provided through law reform efforts, it is extremely unlikely that any gains in respect for freedom of expression will be lasting." (Conclusion, page 64)
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"Esta investigación, en líneas generales, ha permitido establecer que la televisión es el medio preferido para informarse y está situada en los extremos de la credibilidad: se le cree o no se le cree. La población se informa principalmente para 'estar al tanto' e interrelacionarse y de manera s
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ecundaria para ejercer sus derechos ciudadanos. El trabajo de los periodistas es mejor valorado que la calidad de las noticias. Los periodistas de los medios nacionales son mejor valorados que los que trabajan en los medios locales. El Derecho a la Información y la Comunicación aún no está suficientemente posicionado y sólo es conocido de forma parcial." La consulta ciudadana se llevó a cabo en todas las capitales departamentales del país y la ciudad de El Alto, mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario a las personas mayores de 18 años que acudieron voluntariamente a responderlo (3.150 personas). "Dado que la consulta no fue aplicada según muestreo probabilístico, sus resultados no son estadísticamente representativos; sin embargo, sí son válidos como expresión de las percepciones de sectores de la población urbana del país interesados en la situación actual de la información y la comunicación." (Conclusiones, página 34)
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"Während sich die politischen Systeme Lateinamerikas seit den 1980er Jahren demokratisierten, nahm die Konzentration von Besitz und Macht im Mediensektor eher noch zu. Dieser Widerspruch schafft Spannungen, die sowohl gesellschaftliche Reformforderungen als auch staatliche Initiativen zur Neugestal
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tung des Rechtsrahmens für die Medien zur Folge haben. Traditionelle Eliten und neue Großkonzerne prägen bis heute die lateinamerikanische Medienlandschaft. Reforminitiativen aus der Zivilgesellschaft und von einer Reihe von Regierungen weisen auf die zentrale Rolle der Medien für den politischen Willensbildungsprozess hin und fordern ihre Anpassung an die Erfordernisse der Demokratie. In Argentinien, Bolivien, Ecuador, Uruguay und Venezuela setzten die Regierungen neue Mediengesetze durch. Die hiermit verbundenen Konflikte unterscheiden sich entsprechend der jeweils gegebenen Konstellation in Politik und Medien. Trotz der wachsenden Bedeutung neuer Medien und Informationstechnologien dominieren die traditionellen Medien, vor allem das Fernsehen, nach wie vor die öffentliche Meinungsbildung. Nicht das Internet, sondern die „alten“ Massenmedien stehen im Zentrum der politischen Auseinandersetzungen." (Seite 1)
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"The advent of digital television has accelerated the elaboration of regulation and related processes in the countries of the region. Some countries adopted changes in their broadcasting statutes (Ukraine in 2006; Armenia in 2008 and 2010; Kazakhstan in 2012) or their mass media statute (Russia in 2
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011). One country laid the foundations for the switchover in a presidential decree (Uzbekistan in 2012), while the rest have opted for governmental ordinances and executive orders. Some changes made in the process go beyond merely adjusting the legal framework to digital technology." (Conclusion)
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"Out of the twelve countries surveyed, only four have specific access to information laws. These countries are: Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe. However, a significant indication of the shifting tide on the continent is that six of the countries surveyed have some form of specific access to
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information in a Bill or parliamentary process. These countries are: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia." (Page 5)
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"El estudio hace un recorrido por la obsoleta y contradictoria legislación nacional en esta materia, luego se repasan los conceptos que describen la naturaleza de los distintos tipos de radio que existen en el país y posteriormente se describe la manera en que se está utilizando el espectro radio
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eléctrico en la actualidad." (Resumen)
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"A practical guide for journalists practising in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. The handbook not only contains a comprehensive overview of applicable media laws for each country reviewed, it also contains suggestions on possible law reforms to improve
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the protection of media in these countries." (Publisher description)
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"This policy brief builds upon the findings of a research report that looked specifically on the ways in which three media institutions - Independent Media Commission (IMC); Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) and the Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) – established in the aftermath of conflict with consi
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derable foreign media assistance - have evolved. The independence and long-term sustainability of the RTK and IMC are important conditions that Kosovo government must ensure as it moves closer towards the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The PCK also remains an important institution for the Kosovo press affairs. As such, these institutions are a cornerstone for a sound media system in Kosovo." (Pages 5-6)
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"Somaliland has held several competitive and multiparty elections that have been cited by international election monitors as being ‘‘free and fair.’’ While political competition has been tolerated, or even encouraged by the governments in power, there has been a continued reluctance to allow
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private radio stations. Citing the possibility of destabilizing Somaliland’s delicate peace, arguments against the liberalization of the media include concerns of radios used to further political polarization, mobilize groups to escalate simmering conflicts and violence, and the capacity of the government to regulate media outlets. This article locates these arguments against media liberalization in the context of Somaliland’s larger nation- and state-building project suggesting that in transitions from war to peace, no matter how prolonged, there are very real concerns about processes of institutionalization and the sequencing of democratic reforms." (Abstract)
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"The mechanisms of state media funding in Serbia are used as indirect, and usually not easily visible, “soft censorship.” Soft censorship is used to promote positive coverage of - and to punish media outlets that criticize - officials or their actions. State funding of media is unregulated, unmo
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nitored, and not transparent. State funding is estimated to comprise 23 to 40 percent of the real value of Serbia’s overall advertising market. Direct state subsidies made to state-owned media that receive great amounts of state media assistance are drastically undermining free competition in Serbia’s media industry and hindering development of a free, independent, and pluralistic media." (Key findings, page 6)
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"This report analyses current media legislation and regulation in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam and examines the opportunities for the development of public service and community broadcasting. The report also includes useful references to Singapore." (Preface)
"I have been asked by the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) for a paper setting out the principles that can be drawn from the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (“the Court”) relating to the protection and safety of journalists and journali
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sm. I understand that the overall objective of the CDMSI is to establish a declaration of principles and to draft an in-depth recommendation to member states which includes the positive obligations upon states in respect of journalists." (Abstract)
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"The years 2011 and 2012 were among the most deadly for journalists reporting from conflict situations worldwide. The numbers of assaults, arrests and attacks have been on a constant rise and portray a dramatic image of the journalistic profession. In light of the increasing threats in armed conflic
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ts, being a war reporter has become an inherently dangerous task. Journalists are not only at risk of becoming so-called collateral damage during military operations, they are also increasingly targeted. Their role as a watchdog and witness to the horrors of war, in addition to the undeniable power of the word and image they spread, has made them popular targets. It is therefore essential that the international community re-evaluate journalists' de jure and de facto protections in armed conflicts to allow for better safeguards and consequently less casualties in the imminent future. This article examines the current protections afforded to journalists and aims at detecting proposals for enhanced safeguards that are most likely to effectively improve journalists' safety in the field. In this regard, this article will argue that the legal protections are in fact sufficient and hardly amendable and that therefore, a more practical, hands-on approach to implementation of those protections must be the focus of future actions. This goal can only be achieved by a comprehensive mission jointly pursued by governments, militaries, journalists, media, NGOs and society." (Abstract)
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"This report maps the complex legislative frameworks of community broadcasters in more than 30 countries. It examines how the sector can be strengthened in line with international standards and provides analysis and recommendations that may be of interest to donors and policy makers as they set prio
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rities for media development." (Foreword)
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"La finalidad de este libro es ofrecer al movimiento indígena del Perú y de América Latina un marco de referencia comparativo regional de las políticas públicas referidas al ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación de los pueblos indígenas que facilite articular propuestas para la agenda indí
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gena en comunicación. En ese camino, la importancia del estudio reside en crear un marco teórico-técnico que permita sostener desde el campo de la comunicación y del derecho; los compromisos asumidos por los Estados de América Latina en la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas (2007) y en la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos (CADH), sobre la necesidad de democratizar la comunicación y diversificar las informaciones a través de marcos regulatorios de radiodifusión que reconozcan la valía de los medios comunitarios y de políticas públicas de comunicación diferenciales [...] El libro está dividido en cinco acápites; la primera parte ofrece una introducción a la comunicación por el cambio social a través de un conjunto de conceptos y relaciones básicas para entender la trascendencia social y política del derecho a la comunicación y de las políticas públicas (diferenciales). En la segunda parte nos ocupamos del diagnóstico sobre la libertad de expresión e información. Para este fin, se han elaborado síntesis del marco jurídico sobre libertades comunicativas en cada uno de los países estudiados, así como de la evaluación y descripción de los cambios y sucesos más importantes en materia de radiodifusión sucedidos en el periodo 2007-2013. La tercera parte aborda el análisis de los marcos regulatorios sobre radio y televisión comunitarias e indígenas en base a los principios que recomienda la CADH y la Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias (AMARC). En la cuarta parte se presentan experiencias del ejercicio del derecho a la comunicación de los medios comunitarios e indígenas, así como datos estadísticos acerca de la situación de estos medios en materia de regulación. En la quinta y última parte presentamos los aportes y conclusiones de la investigación." (Introducción, página 9-11)
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