media self-regulation in the netherlands the netherlands press council daphne koene secretary smf...

MEDIA SELF-REGULATIONIN THE NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands Press Council

Daphne Koene

secretary

SMF Project Serbia

Amsterdam 11 November 2014

Why self-regulation?

• freedom of expression and information

• fundamental human right

• cornerstone of democracy

• ‘public watchdog’

• media accountability

• state-regulation vs self-regulation

History NPC

• 1948 Raad van Tucht» disciplinary council

» practice of union members

• 1960Raad voor de Journalistiek» council of opinion

» practice of all journalists

Establishment & financing

Foundation - Stichting Raad voor de Journalistiek

• Netherlands Union of Journalists

• Netherlands Society of Chief-editors

• Co-ordinating organizations of printed press and

multimedia news companies

• Co-ordinating organizations of public broadcasting

• Commercial broadcasting

Mission Article 3 of Statutes:Examination of complaints againstviolations of good journalistic practice

• complainant directly involved• journalistic practice• specific editorial content (all media) • ‘watchdog without teeth’?• moral redress

Composition Press Council• Chairman

high profile journalist

• Vice-chairmenjudiciary

• Journalist-membersreporters/editorseditors-in-chief

• Non journalist-membersexpertspublic members

Considering complaints in chambers

Procedure

• complaint in writing / online

• no charge

• legal representation permitted

• public hearing

• consideration behind closed doors

• decision within 8 weeks

Recent developments - 1

March 2013: • Chairman is high profile journalist (no longer a

lawyer), with important representing role.

November 2013: • Transformation into a ‘secondary body’:

obligation to file complain to journalist/editor-in-chief first; accelerated procedure and mediation abolished.

Recent developments - 2November 2013• Council withholds opinion in complaints addressed

to media/journalists who basicly do not co-operate, unless case is of a higher/general importance.

• Reducing ‘judicial’ appearance by simplifying decisions.

Late-2014• Guidelines will be revised in consultation with the

journalistic field.

Alliance of IndependentPress Councils of Europe

• Annual meeting• 2015 in Vienna• info: Alexander Warzilek (alexander.warzilek@presserat.at)

• Exchange of views and information• Remarkable differences• No ‘one-fits-all’ model• www.aipce.net

Thank you for the attention!

d.koene@rvdj.nl

www.rvdj.nl

raad@rvdj.nl

@RVDJ_NL