OSCE Office helps Tajik media decision makers to develop ethical code and self-regulation

BERLIN, 19 December 2008 - A seminar organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, in co-operation with the Deutsche Welle Akademie, for Tajik media decision makers to learn from German media self-regulation experts concluded in Berlin today.

The 10 heads of leading Tajik media associations and holding companies took part. They discussed the development of a media self-regulation mechanism for Tajikistan, and produced a first draft of ethical principles that will serve as a basis for a media code of ethics.

"The programme offered a comprehensive look at aspects of media self-regulation in Germany, and the discussions revealed a lot about the Tajik media system as well," said Michael Unland, Media Officer of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, during the handover of certificates to seminar participants.

Olim Salimzoda, the Head of Tajikistan's Parliamentary Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations and Information, and Asadullo Rakhmonov, Chairman of the Committee for TV and Radio of the Government of Tajikistan, also observed the seminar.

The Tajik experts met with politicians from the German Parliament, leading journalists from the German weekly Der Spiegel, representatives from the broadcasting council of public service broadcaster Radio Berlin Brandenburg, the German Press Council, media regulation authorities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and from the private radio branch of RTL in Berlin.

Gerda Meuer, the Managing Director of the Deutsche Welle Akademie, said: "In Germany we are very proud of our pluralistic and publicly regulated media system and media self-regulation. That does not mean that everything here fits the situation in Tajikistan but we hope that it will help provide ideas."