media self-regulation in the netherlands the netherlands press council daphne koene secretary smf...
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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 ([email protected])
• Exchange of views and information• Remarkable differences• No ‘one-fits-all’ model• www.aipce.net
