Workshops on journalistic ethics for Tunisian media professionals
UNESCO and the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA), organized on 3 and 4 December 2013 workshops on journalistic ethics and mediation in the context of the democratic transition in Tunisia. Twenty editors-in-chief and information directors from Tunisian radio and television stations attended the events.
"These workshops on ethical issues are of crucial importance for the regulation of the media landscape in Tunisia," said Nouri Lajmi, HACA President. "HAICA, with the support of its partners including UNESCO, aims to establish the culture of regulation and self-regulation so that the media can meet the professional and ethical requirements of the profession and ensure the quality of information."
The workshops, which took place at the HAICA Headquarters, were led by a Canadian expert, Marc François Bernier, Chair in Journalism Ethics at the University of Ottawa. Topics covered during the workshops’ sessions addressed key ethical principles related to the processing of information, such as public interest, privacy, truth, accuracy/correctness, impartiality, fairness and integrity. The rationale behind the development of ethical standards was demonstrated through case studies of breach of journalistic ethics. The workshops also presented the role of press mediator in the media and his/her function between journalists and the public.
UNESCO has been supporting HAICA since its inception by providing technical expertise and facilitating the cooperation and exchanges with other international media regulation bodies. The creation of an independent body for broadcasting regulation was among the recommendations of the UNESCO study on media development in Tunisia, published in 2012.
These workshops were made possible through the support of Spain and Finland. The UNESCO Project Office in Tunisia is supported by Norway.
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