"Recent media policy developments in Poland attract wide media coverage and the attention of governmental and non-governmental international and national organisations and bodies. This article aims at putting the debated regulatory changes into a relevant context through policy analysis. The normati
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ve concept against which the change will be tested, is media pluralism. Why? The concept of media pluralism is often viewed as an important condition for a well-functioning and democratic public sphere and media, while also incorporating political, economic and cultural value dimensions." (Page 197)
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"We have noted profound transformations in the field of media freedom, which is making progress in certain areas, but losing ground in others. Media freedom is limited in particular by many legal restrictions on the right to impart information and ideas, although progress is being made with regard t
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o legal guarantees to seek and receive information. With regard to media pluralism, the last five years have seen a considerable increase in the number of sources of information. Yet the concentration of ownership of media companies and Internet services raises major concerns. The filtering effects of social media, which create “bubbles” in which people do not access the truth or “points of view” they consider “irritating” or “inappropriate” is one example. Another is the manipulation and dissemination of false information by propaganda mouthpieces. There has also been a hiatus in the progress of gender equality in content and staffing. Trends show that media independence is weakening and the professional standards of journalism are being eroded by economic forces on the one hand and lack of recognition by political actors on the other. Media and Internet companies are increasingly aware of the need for self-regulation. Finally, with regard to the physical, psychological and digital safety of journalists, trends remain extremely alarming, although implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity offers hope. There is new momentum for mechanisms to monitor, prevent, protect and strengthen justice for crimes against journalists." (Foreword, page 10-11)
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"Este libro presenta y analiza el estado de los medios de comunicación y del ejercicio periodístico en la República Dominicana. Es el resultado de un proceso de investigación que abarcó dos encuestas nacionales: una en 1,200 hogares de todo el territorio nacional para medir el grado de credibil
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idad de los medios y la importancia que la población le atribuye a éstos; otra entre 330 periodistas de distintos medios sobre el rol de su profesión en la construcción de la democracia y sobre las condiciones socio-laborales en que se desenvuelven. El estudio también consultó a ejecutivos de medios, a investigadores y expertos del área, a funcionarios gubernamentales del sector comunicación, a representantes de la sociedad civil y dirigentes de los principales gremios periodísticos." (Reverso)
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"The overall conclusion is that there is an urgent need to address the specific legal framework and major technical and financial challenges identified in this study to ensure pluralism and media diversity in the Kingdom of Swaziland." (Page 10)
"The Monitor assesses the risks to media pluralism based on a set of twenty indicators covering a broad notion of media pluralism that encompasses political, cultural, geographical, structural and content related dimensions. All types of media are covered: public service, commercial, community media
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, new media and online platforms. The risks for media pluralism are measured in four different areas: Basic Protection, Market Plurality, Political Independence and Social Inclusiveness. The indicators cover legal, economic and socio-political questions. National experts, composing the MPM network of local teams, provided the data to assess the levels of risk at country level, drafted the country reports, while the CMPF supervised and guaranteed quality and consistency of the data collection and assessed the levels of risk." (Executive summary)
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"More than 20 years into democracy, the South African media landscape, although free and moderately pluralistic, still does not represent fairly the diversity of viewpoints held in the country. Yet, the South African media debate on transformation has been dominated by the ANC’s continued focus on
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media accountability. This has silenced a more constructive debate on how to foster media diversity. In the wake of a review of the MDDA (Media Development and Diversity Agency) Act, this paper seeks to reignite this debate by investigating different types of print media regulation and support in Scandinavia, Latin America and West Africa. It argues, firstly, that print media regulation and support is crucial to foster and maintain democratic debate, which is endangered if the media market is left to its own devices. Secondly, government support to print media has been much more common around the globe than often assumed, especially in the Scandinavian countries, which have invested heavily and successfully in the sector. Thirdly, an analysis of national contexts of print media support highlights the perpetual danger of governments exerting censorship or control. However, as is demonstrated in the paper’s final section, a multiplicity of mechanisms of support exist that could be adapted to the South African context, whilst seeking to minimise state control." (Abstract)
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"Actors interested in media development and freedom of expression can easily inform themselves about the current issues related to spectrum management; this report summarizes those issues, and highlights resources for further research. A “spectrum commons” approach – one that focuses on treati
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ng specific bands of spectrum as openly accessible public resources – may foster media pluralism by decreasing barriers to the free flow of information. Networks are forming around this issue; this report also highlights the major organizations working on this issue from a perspective of rights, freedom of expression and media development." (CIMA website)
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"This report, produced by a participatory research process that took over a year, provides a comprehensive assessment of the environment for media sector’s development in Sri Lanka. It is based on UNESCO’s Media Development Indicator (MDI) framework, which looks at the diferent factors which sho
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uld contribute to media development, including the legal framework, economic conditions, human resource development, the technological environment and safety, as well as the actual state of media development in the country." (Back cover)
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"Myanmar should sign and ratify international treaties which pertain to freedom of expression, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the (first) Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimina
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tion of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 2008 Constitution should be amended to strengthen guarantees of freedom of expression (i.e. Article 354) and the right to information. These guarantees should not allow ordinary laws to restrict these rights but should, instead, impose clear conditions on any laws which restrict these rights. Only a judiciary that acts independently can properly interpret laws which restrict freedom of expression in the public interest. The government should promote the independence of the judiciary and address reported corruption issues within it. The government should promote wider public participation in legal reform processes and more proactively communicate on the legal reforms pertaining to freedom of expression by creating wider opportunities for interactions with the public." (Key recommendations, page xxvi)
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"The majority think their national media provide a diversity of views, but most say it is not free from political or commercial pressures. Two thirds of respondents (66%) agree that their national media provide a diversity of views and opinions, and the majority in all but one Member State agree (Gr
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eece is the only exception). More than four in ten EU citizens (44%) say the level of diversity of views and opinions in the national media are the same as it was five years ago, 29% think there is more diversity, while 18% say there is less. Almost four in ten respondents (38%) agree their national media provide information free from political or commercial pressure – the majority disagree (57%). There are only nine Member States where the majority agree. Just over a third of respondents agree their national public service media are free from political pressure (35%), but the majority (60%) disagree. Almost half (45%) think their national media are as free and independent as they were five years ago, while 18% say it is more free and independent, and 28% think it is less so. A small majority (53%) agree their national media provide trustworthy information, while 44% think it does not. In 19 Member States, the majority of respondents agree their national media provide trustworthy information. Radio is most likely to be considered reliable (66%), followed by television and newspapers (both 55%). Far fewer respondents consider social media to be reliable (32%). Radio is considered the most reliable media in 25 countries." (Key findings, page 4)
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"Based on data collected from 97 countries through the UIS 2014 Survey on Feature Film Statistics, the following observations on diversity can be made: In 2012, the number of feature films greatly increased throughout the world, and the following year a new production record was hit: 7,610 movies. H
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owever, the sustained growth of global production during the 2005-2013 period has not undermined the weight of the main production countries: India, the United States, China, Japan and a set of Western European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain. This finding, in the attempt to analyse the diversity of sources, reveals a high degree of concentration of production in the economic superpowers and in some of the most heavily-populated countries of the world. A special case in point is India, the country with the second-largest population, and the number-one filmmaking country, which is experiencing a major growth in production. India produced 1,041 movies in 2005 to 1,724 movies in 2013. The number of feature films produced in 2013, mostly with digital technology and at multiple sites, represented over one-fifth of worldwide production[...]" (Conclusion, page 35)
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"This first-ever comprehensive assessment of the media landscape in Mongolia was undertaken in 2013-2014 to determine the level of media development in the country. The assessment was carried out by UNESCO, in partnership with a network of organizations, including the Globe International Center, the
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Press Institute, the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists, and the NGO Transparency Fund. The UNESCO/IPDC Media Development Indicators (MDIs), which were used in the assessment, are an internationally recognized analytical tool that make possible a detailed overview of national media landscapes and related media development priorities. This assessment places special emphasis on issues affecting freedom of expression and press freedom; how current state legislation impacts on the media and how it can be amended to provide more space for self-regulation within the media; legislation regarding defamation; restrictions on the daily activities of media outlets; transparency in media ownership; standards of journalism, professional training and research; and labour relations and working rights affecting journalists in their daily activities." (Executive summary)
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"According to Eurolang (2014), there are 60 minority languages in Europe and 50 million people (10 % of European population) communicate through a minority language. In this context, community media play an essential role in the life of these peoples – as the European parliament recognised (2008)
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– by consolidating their sense of belonging, providing information and becoming a space for the expression of local and/or regional sensitivities. The Third Media Sector also fulfils educational and cultural aims, preserving the local identity of the native language and culture in a contemporary framework. Therefore, community media are indeed social technologies that reinforce pluralism and diversity, not only through the production of radio or TV content, but through democratic and participatory processes that support and reinforce the European identity and cultural wealth through the use and promotion of minority languages of Europe." (Abstract)
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"Im ersten Teil der Broschüre geht es um übergreifende Themen wie die Verwobenheit der Diversitätsdimensionen, die Möglichkeit, Diversität durch Binnenpluralität herzustellen, den Zusammenhang von Bildkomposition und Hierarchien und um die Besonderheiten des Mediums Video. Der zweite Teil beha
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ndelt die Darstellung verschiedener Diversitätsdimensionen in den Medien: Ethnizität und „Hautfarbe“, Geschlecht und Gender, Behinderung, Alter sowie die Repräsentation von Familien. Im dritten Teil schließlich werden Tipps für die Bildrecherche gegeben, das Diversitätsrad als Mittel für einen Schnellcheck vorgestellt und die wichtigsten Punkte in Kürze zusammengefasst. Der Fokus dieser Handlungsempfehlungen liegt auf Bildern. In den nächsten Jahren wird das Gleichstellungsbüro der Goethe-Universität weiterhin einen Leitfaden erarbeiten, der sich mit (Text-)Sprache beschäftigt. Um Zusammenhänge zu verdeutlichen, wurden zahlreiche Fotos und andere Bilder als Anschauungsmaterial verwendet. Bilder, die – im Zuge des Fokus, den das jeweilige Kapitel setzt – als Positivbeispiele dienen, sind mit einem dunkelgrauen Balken und einem Häkchen gekennzeichnet. Für Fotos, die aus der Perspektive des Schwerpunktes eines Kapitels kritisch zu betrachten sind, wurde ein hellgrauer Grund benutzt. Dies bedeutet nicht, dass diese Fotos per se schlecht sind, sondern nur, dass sie in dem besprochenen Kontext für sich alleine oder in Kombination mit anderen Bildern als negativ zu betrachtende Schlussfolgerungen nahelegen." (Seite 10)
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"Personalized recommendations in search engines, social media and also in more traditional media increasingly raise concerns over potentially negative consequences for diversity and the quality of public discourse. The algorithmic filtering and adaption of online content to personal preferences and
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interests is often associated with a decrease in the diversity of information to which users are exposed. Notwithstanding the question of whether these claims are correct or not, this article discusses whether and how recommendations can also be designed to stimulate more diverse exposure to information and to break potential ‘filter bubbles’ rather than create them. Combining insights from democratic theory, computer science and law, the article makes suggestions for design principles and explores the potential and possible limits of ‘diversity sensitive design’." (Abstract)
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