The European Media Pluralism Monitor: Bridging Law, Economics and Media Studies as a First Step towards Risk-Based Regulation in Media Markets (original) (raw)
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Klimkiewicz (2009) made this reference to the plurality and diversity, discussed also by Miguel, while looking at the UK White Paper 'A new Future for Communication' for diversity: "the range of different programmes and services available to viewers and listeners" and at the Department of Trade and Industry (2000) for plurality "the choices viewers and listeners are offered between different providers of such services". Therefore, plurality adds to the values of diversity and look at similar services and the differences in contents between them. Arriving at the characteristics of pluralism Freedman (2008) considered the most important normative characteristics of pluralism to be the accountability, impartiality and autonomy, with the same goal of combating individual characteristics and incorporating views of multiple stakeholders. Again the author emphasizes the need for more voices to be implicated and heard in the media processes, since this action leads to the freedom of expression. This can be done trough a limitation of state intervention especially in the content regulation, with the exception of the moment when regulation is needed for child protection in advertising and invasion of privacy. Furthermore, Cavallin named as the main property of pluralism the "independence, of different groups and views expressed by groups (persons, etc.) in society" (2000, p. 127). In order to ensure the independence mentioned above, media can contribute, according to the author, in three ways: "by reflecting existing pluralism and diversities or differences in society, by offering space to diverse opinions in society, by offering to the audience (general public, users) a diverse supply" (Cavallin, 2000, p. 125). A society where media ensures all these conditions is a pluralistic society. Cavallin's conditions enlisted above will be followed later by Doyle (2002), which will look at the 16 Interview conducted in Brussels with the Head of the European affairs, Ms. Nicola Frank, 07.05.2012. 17 Reference retrieved 9.12.2012 from http://epceurope.eu/about/our-members/. CHAPTER III. TOWARDS A SOFT-REGULATORY APPROACH-THE MEDIA GOVERNANCE SYSTEM This chapter introduces the concept of Media Governance as a tool of analysis of the European audiovisual media policy. The concept of governance is analyzed in the next sub-chapter, as an introduction to the one of soft-governance. Media governance study includes the different views and theoretical contributions brought by different media researchers and school of thoughts. These analyses are made in a chronological way starting with the characteristics discussed in the literature, the definitions and the critiques brought along with the concept. Lastly, this chapter will look at the potential of soft-governance for media governance, how it can be used and applied in order to provide a better setting for the protection of media pluralism. COUNCIL OF EUROPE. (CoE). (1999). Recommendation No. R (99) 1 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to promote media pluralism. Strasburg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE). Recommendation No. R (99) 1 of the Committee of Ministers on measures to promote media pluralism in the digital environment.S trasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2000): Recommendation Rec (2000) 23 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the Independence and Functions of Regulatory Authorities for the Broadcasting Sector. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2002): Media Diversity in Europe. Report prepared by the AP-MD (Advisory Panel to the CDMM on media concentrations, pluralism and diversity questions). H/APMD (2003) 001. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2003): Recommendation Rec (2003)9 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on Measures to Promote the Democratic and Social Contribution of Digital Broadcasting. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2005): European Commission for democracy through law (Venice Commission). Opinion no. 309/2004. CDL(2005)009rev. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2007a): Recommendation Rec (2007) 2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on media pluralism and diversity of media content. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE) (2007b): Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on protecting the role of the media in democracy in the context of media concentration. Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 31 January 2007 at the 985th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
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