The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE

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ut also for positive developments. Without their work therewould be neither reliable and impartial information nor publicdebate on opinions. Democracy can do without fifty differenttypes <strong>of</strong> buttons. It will survive even prolonged social and economichardship. But without a free and independent pressdemocracy will die. <strong>The</strong>re simply is no substitute for solid pr<strong>of</strong>essionaljournalism.Even though most governments would <strong>of</strong>ficially subscribeto the concept <strong>of</strong> freedom <strong>of</strong> the media, reality sadly shows avery different picture. <strong>The</strong> media and their representatives fallall too <strong>of</strong>ten easy prey to outside interferences and open repression.2 <strong>The</strong> non-governmental organization, Reporters withoutBorders reported that: “Press freedom had a rough time in2001, the first year <strong>of</strong> the third millennium. On every continent,this basic right (a key to democracy in any society) washarshly attacked, along with those who exercised it. <strong>The</strong>attacks were either physical (threats, blows, injuries and murders),done through repressive laws (censorship, bannings,arrests and prison sentences) or else targeted media equipmentitself (broadcasting aerials, printing works and <strong>of</strong>fices). <strong>The</strong> picturewas a sad one. Press freedom in the world sharply declinedduring the year.” 3It had not been any better during the previous years.Improvements, if any, are barely perceivable. According to thePress Freedom World Review <strong>of</strong> the World Association <strong>of</strong>Newspapers (WAN), “vigorous government clampdowns, ongoingand renewed conflict, and premeditated attacks on journalistsand their publications signal a widespread deterioration <strong>of</strong>conditions for the media, and a bleak outlook for press freedomin 2003”. During the first ten months <strong>of</strong> 2003 theReporters without Borders’ world wide Press Freedom Barometershowed that 31 journalists and 2 media assistants had beenkilled and 138 journalists, 4 media assistants and 48 “cyber-dis-16 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA CONCENTRATION ON PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM
sidents” had been imprisoned. “At least 1,420 journalists werebeaten, harassed, abducted, received death threats or werearrested and charged by police over the past twelve months”. 4Not all <strong>of</strong> these reporters were killed during armed conflict.None <strong>of</strong> them had committed a criminal <strong>of</strong>fense accordingto basic democratic standards. All <strong>of</strong> them were simplyjournalists carrying out their work and by doing so, becominga disturbing nuisance for the powers-that-be! “Creative measuresto reduce press freedom continue to be employed byleaders intent on stifling a free press in many countries. Grossviolations <strong>of</strong> freedom <strong>of</strong> expression in the form <strong>of</strong> nationalsecurity laws, terrorism acts and criminal defamation landscores <strong>of</strong> journalists in prison and resign many more to practicingself-censorship”. 5It is, however, important to remember that repressionagainst the media does not only happen in so called developingcountries. Reports on physical as well as psychologicalharassment <strong>of</strong> journalists continue to arrive from a number <strong>of</strong>OSCE participating States, which are usually heralded as thebeacons <strong>of</strong> democracy.One <strong>of</strong> them, British journalist Rachael Bletchly, was handcuffedupon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, becauseshe failed to have a valid entry visa to the United States <strong>of</strong> America.She was given very little to eat or drink, had no possibility tosleep and had to ask permission to use the lavatory, which wasdenied on at least one occasion. In addition, she was for a time,denied access to a lawyer and to British Embassy <strong>of</strong>ficials. In aprotest note to Tom Ridge, the Secretary <strong>of</strong> the US Department2 World Association <strong>of</strong> Newspapers, Press Freedom World Review (June 2003).3 Reporters without Borders, Freedom <strong>of</strong> the Press throughout the World:Annual Report (2002).4 World Association <strong>of</strong> Newspapers, Press Freedom World Review (June 2003).5 World Association <strong>of</strong> Newspapers, Press Freedom World Review (June 2003).JOHANNES VON DOHNANYI 17
Page 3 and 4: REPRESENTATIVE ON FREEDOM OF THE ME
Page 5 and 6: ContentsPrefaceby Freimut Duve 9Int
Page 7: 6. Conclusions 187AnnexQuestionnair
Page 10 and 11: advertisement is very insecure, mak
Page 12 and 13: industrial lobbying groups still di
Page 15: 1. The Imp
Page 19 and 20: determined Freedom of</stro
Page 21 and 22: co-operate fully with the OSCE Repr
Page 23 and 24: Such independence, however, comes a
Page 25 and 26: and mirror of the
Page 27 and 28: 30 million rely exclusively on info
Page 29 and 30: Unchecked, concentration will reduc
Page 31 and 32: protected, a certain level
Page 33 and 34: indication of the
Page 35 and 36: time, as the concept of</st
Page 37 and 38: It appears, however, that this posi
Page 39 and 40: 1.7 New Threats on the Horizon1.7.1
Page 41 and 42: owns or controls not only the three
Page 43 and 44: Target countries sometimes interpre
Page 45 and 46: independence proposed by the OSCE R
Page 47 and 48: groups to grow. And there is the in
Page 49 and 50: areas of Central a
Page 51 and 52: Directly or indirectly Mr. Silvio B
Page 53 and 54: Yet this simple notion appears to b
Page 55 and 56: newspaper firms. Using the argument
Page 57 and 58: a contribution to democratization a
Page 59: tation of this for
Page 62 and 63: This limitation in no way indicates
Page 64 and 65: press is ridiculous. Journalists co
Page 66 and 67:
But these progressive aspects <stro
Page 68 and 69:
Nevertheless, the loss of</
Page 70 and 71:
may well be true for journalists fr
Page 72 and 73:
Is there a works council at your ne
Page 74 and 75:
will go to television, this being t
Page 76 and 77:
Economic revenue (%) Fig. 61234510,
Page 78 and 79:
Good relations with the business co
Page 80 and 81:
Further, how can a newspaper, whose
Page 82 and 83:
Service for civil society (%) Fig.
Page 84 and 85:
The Norwegian medi
Page 86 and 87:
Have you ever been put under pressu
Page 88 and 89:
Do you feel threatened in your posi
Page 91 and 92:
4. Number of Title
Page 93 and 94:
5. Country Reports5.1 Germany5.1.1
Page 95 and 96:
Süddeutsche Zeitung (463,000), Lei
Page 97 and 98:
publisher, the Axel Springer Verlag
Page 99 and 100:
A three directional strategy is wha
Page 101 and 102:
5.1.2 Survey ResultsBacked by tradi
Page 103 and 104:
Cross-ownership has also increased
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Understandably all German journalis
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
As also seen in Germany, the data p
Page 115 and 116:
5.2.2 Survey ResultsFinland compete
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Newspaper chains were the logical r
Page 119 and 120:
5.3 United Kingdom5.3.1 Country Rep
Page 121 and 122:
• Daily Mail and General Trust: D
Page 123 and 124:
Is there a works council at your ne
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Do you feel free to voice and write
Page 131:
Page 134 and 135:
Newspaper reach (%)All Adults 30.1M
Page 136 and 137:
As regards ownership concentration,
Page 138 and 139:
Financial BackgroundDespite the pre
Page 140 and 141:
5.4.2 Survey resultsIf Finnish jour
Page 142 and 143:
of those mini-comp
Page 144 and 145:
for example, is very clear on this
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
5.5.2 Survey ResultsAn anonymous It
Page 150 and 151:
portfolio. In addition, as democrat
Page 152 and 153:
Mr. Berlusconi’s TV advertisement
Page 154 and 155:
5.6 Lithuania5.6.1 Country ReportCa
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is quite remarkable. The</s
Page 158 and 159:
Lithuania is a small country with a
Page 160 and 161:
Another tendency is that newspapers
Page 162 and 163:
Only in 2003, the daily newspaper L
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
October 22 2003 was an historic dat
Page 168 and 169:
5.7.2 Survey ResultsSince the end <
Page 170 and 171:
y a mostly anonymous to the general
Page 172 and 173:
On a daily, practical basis there
Page 174 and 175:
Newspaper reach (%)All Adults 15Sou
Page 176 and 177:
so-called “human interest” stor
Page 178 and 179:
indicated that Rodipet applies a di
Page 180 and 181:
5.8.2 Survey ResultsAlthough a smal
Page 182 and 183:
12345Objectivity (%) Fig. 57,114,32
Page 184 and 185:
Strengthening of d
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
emerging CEE countries with regard
Page 190 and 191:
- Create in all OSCE participating
Page 193 and 194:
Organization for Security and Co-op
Page 195 and 196:
1. In which country are you working
Page 197 and 198:
17. Who defines the editorial line
Page 199 and 200:
29. How would you describe the situ
Page 201 and 202:
- This common code of</stro
Page 203 and 204:
Personal and business interestsIt i
Page 205:
Orkla Media’s
Page 208:
www.osce.org/fomJohannes von Dohnan
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