OSCE hands over strategy to media ethics council in Skopje to start activities

VIENNA/SKOPJE, 16 October 2014 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today submitted a two-year strategy including action points to the newly-established Council of Media Ethics (CMEM).  

“With this strategy the basis for CMEM’s work as a self-regulatory mechanism is in place,” Mijatović said. “The successful implementation of the strategy now largely depends on the full support from all members of the media in the country. I trust CMEM will have the wholehearted support from all actors in the media community.”

The handover of the strategy followed two workshops in July and October this year with representatives from the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the independent expert Dieter Loraine, the OSCE Mission to Skopje, and the CMEM. At the workshops CMEM’s statutes, code of ethics, working structures and complaints procedures were agreed upon alongside a two-year budget required for the body to start its work. 

“The Mission has been supporting this process since its beginning and we believe that the activities of the CMEM will help achieve better quality standards in the media in the long-run,” Ambassador Ralf Breth, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, said.

The purpose of the CMEM is to function as a media self-regulatory body, independent of both the media and the government, and to promote and protect professional standards and ethics in journalism, while providing an impartial and effective complaints service for citizens.

The next step for the CMEM is to fully adopt the strategy and action points and to present it to the public. Detailed information for citizens on how to complain in case of breaches of journalistic ethics will also be given.

“I look forward to continue to work closely with the authorities in Skopje and civil society in the country on media freedom issues,” Mijatović said.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on facebook.com/osce.rfom.