Roundtable discusses media self-regulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
17-11-2009 (Sarajevo)
Sarajevo roundtable
© UNESCO
A national roundtable on media self-regulation took place on 11 November in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the theme “Self-regulatory mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Experiences and the future”. The roundtable was organized by UNESCO in the framework of its project, Alignment to International Standards in the Media Sector of South-East European Countries, in cooperation with Mediacentar Sarajevo and OSCE.
The one-day event was attended by the representatives of the national media, by officials from the Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Ombudsman of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by two international speakers. The presentations were followed by lively discussions and interesting examples coming from journalists’ daily work.
Participants agreed that self-regulatory mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in the making and that this process cannot be realised in short period of time. One of the most prominent issues discussed was online publishing on web portals, blogs and forums. While the Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina works with print media, the Communications Regulatory Agency deals with electronic media. But there is no institution specifically in charge of online publishing on web portals. The discussion led to an initiative to establish a new department that would deal with web portals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Participants also discussed about the nine-year experience of the Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a self-regulatory body for the print media aiming to improve ethical and professional standards in the profession. Other topics examined at the roundtable included newsroom ombudsman practices and professional awareness of journalists.
The Sarajevo roundtable is part of a cycle of national events, which are taking place in each country participating in the UNESCO programme: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Kosovo. Each event aims at initiating the process of establishing a self-regulatory mechanism and/or newsroom ombudsman mechanisms in the country. The whole programme is supported by the European Union and UNESCO.
Participants agreed that self-regulatory mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in the making and that this process cannot be realised in short period of time. One of the most prominent issues discussed was online publishing on web portals, blogs and forums. While the Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina works with print media, the Communications Regulatory Agency deals with electronic media. But there is no institution specifically in charge of online publishing on web portals. The discussion led to an initiative to establish a new department that would deal with web portals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Participants also discussed about the nine-year experience of the Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a self-regulatory body for the print media aiming to improve ethical and professional standards in the profession. Other topics examined at the roundtable included newsroom ombudsman practices and professional awareness of journalists.
The Sarajevo roundtable is part of a cycle of national events, which are taking place in each country participating in the UNESCO programme: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Kosovo. Each event aims at initiating the process of establishing a self-regulatory mechanism and/or newsroom ombudsman mechanisms in the country. The whole programme is supported by the European Union and UNESCO.
Sarajevo roundtable© UNESCO
Related themes/countries
· Europe and North America
· Bosnia and Herzegovina
· Professional Journalistic Standards and Code of Ethics
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