Media Integrity Matters

Sandra Bašić Hrvatin

Fakulteta za humanistične študijeFacoltà di Studi UmanisticiLjubljana,1.12.2014

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – Book of Revelation – Chapter 6

Regulation

• Legislation which will protect public interest!

• Control over legislative subsidies

• Lobbying using media as important political power

• Who (re)present public interest?

Transparency

• Follow the money!• Data on media business operations not

transparent (hidden owners) – local tycoons adore media companies - no price is too high to pay!

• Media markets often do not operate by economic principles.

• Incestuous relations between media owners and politicians are difficult to prove

Troubled public service

Political pressure relating to news programmes never stopped.

Public service captured by political interest

Who serves the public interest in communication field today?

Pressures coming from private sector

What is left to the public which is not served by public service?

Position of journalists

• No solidarity• Dependency on particular interest• Advertising (commercial and state) corrupts• Journalists as a small businessmen – a big problem for media integrity! • Integrity of journalists as a starting point for media integrity. • Prekerious status (caste system)

When Thought Experiments Encounter the Unthinking

(Fake an alien invasion)

Revolution, evolution, dissolution… or devolution?

We need to challenge the existing management, funding and ownership models in the media sector.

The struggle for media integrity would be one of the key political demands.

Media integrity is a cornerstone of new media policy

What we are facing today is not one (or two ,or three) corrupt media owner, media outlet or journalist. We are facing corrupt media system .

We do not need coalition against corruption. We are not partners in fighting media corruption with judiciary or police. We need coallition wich will fight for media integrity.

When watchdog is not able to watch, we – the people – should be “dogs” watching over our public needs.

The real question

»I don't know what I want but I am very afraid I will f**k up«

(from a recent study of Slovenian youth)

Fight against corruption is fight for democracy.

If we lost that fight, I am afraid, we will f**k up.