UNESCO organized roundtable on self-regulation of printed media in Kosovo
04-12-2009 (Prishtina)
Article from the local newspaper,
Kosova Sot, about the event.
© Kosova Sot
UNESCO and the Press Council of Kosovo organized a national roundtable in Prishtina, Kosovo (as understood in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244), under the theme “Self Regulation of Printed Media in Kosovo”. The meeting took place last month and was a result of cooperation with the South-East European Network for the Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The event was attended by more than 40 participants: editors-in-chief of the print media - members of the Press Council of Kosovo; the spokesperson of the International Civilian Office (ICO) and of the European Union High Representative’s Office in Kosovo; representatives of the Independent Media Commissioner (self-regulatory body of electronic media of Kosovo); the publisher of Kosova Sot newspaper; representatives from OSCE, the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and from other relevant bodies involved in the development of the media sector in Kosovo.
All participants underlined the importance of the Press Council as a self-regulatory body, which during the four years of its work had increased professional journalistic standards in the print media in Kosovo. According to the participants, the role of the Press Council is unique when it comes to promoting a code of ethics in journalism.
The event was moderated by William Houwen, Chairman of the Press Council’s Board. Nehtan Islami, Director of the Press Council’s Office, opened the meeting. Agron Bajrami, editor-in-chief of Koha Ditore, spoke about the impact of the Press Council on the education of journalists and editors, and its role in the application of the code of ethics. Ruzhdi Kadriu, publisher of Kosova Sot, made the presentation entitled “Self-Regulative Body of Print Media Publishers: Within the Press Council”. All participants agreed that there was a need to create a Media Council comprising all media outlets in Kosovo.
The event was also attended by two international speakers: Ognian Zlatev, UNESCO consultant and Director of the Media Development Center in Sofia (Bulgaria); and Ian Mayes, former ombudsperson of The Guardian (United Kingdom).
The roundtable, which was extensively covered by all national media, was part of a series of national events organized by UNESCO in the framework of its project, Alignment to International Standards in the Media Sector of South-East European Countries. These events are taking place in the targeted countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Kosovo. They aim to support consolidating European Standards on Media, to establish effective, functioning self-regulatory mechanisms, and to create a network of expert contributors.
All participants underlined the importance of the Press Council as a self-regulatory body, which during the four years of its work had increased professional journalistic standards in the print media in Kosovo. According to the participants, the role of the Press Council is unique when it comes to promoting a code of ethics in journalism.
The event was moderated by William Houwen, Chairman of the Press Council’s Board. Nehtan Islami, Director of the Press Council’s Office, opened the meeting. Agron Bajrami, editor-in-chief of Koha Ditore, spoke about the impact of the Press Council on the education of journalists and editors, and its role in the application of the code of ethics. Ruzhdi Kadriu, publisher of Kosova Sot, made the presentation entitled “Self-Regulative Body of Print Media Publishers: Within the Press Council”. All participants agreed that there was a need to create a Media Council comprising all media outlets in Kosovo.
The event was also attended by two international speakers: Ognian Zlatev, UNESCO consultant and Director of the Media Development Center in Sofia (Bulgaria); and Ian Mayes, former ombudsperson of The Guardian (United Kingdom).
The roundtable, which was extensively covered by all national media, was part of a series of national events organized by UNESCO in the framework of its project, Alignment to International Standards in the Media Sector of South-East European Countries. These events are taking place in the targeted countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Kosovo. They aim to support consolidating European Standards on Media, to establish effective, functioning self-regulatory mechanisms, and to create a network of expert contributors.
During the roundtable© UNESCO
During the roundtable© UNESCO
Related themes/countries
· Europe and North America
· Professional Journalistic Standards and Code of Ethics
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