Ethics COuncils from several Balkans’ countries, at a regional conference that is organized in Skopje, have asked from potential donors and state authorities to provide more stable support for independent functioning of these bodies.
“The self-sustainability of these ethics councils – a myth of reality about the Balkans region and Turkey” is a subject of today’s regional conference that the Media Ethics Council in Macedonia (CEMM) is organizing in Skopje.
– Despite the importance of the ethics councils and that the self-regulation is generally recognized, the survival of these bodies that have extremely significant importance in the protection of the freedom of expression is brought into question. Although most of the ethics councils in Europe are completely financed by the media industry and the media, the unenviable position that the media in our country are in is making this model be almost impossible – stressed Marina Tuneva, an Executive Director of the Media Ethics Council.
On the other hand, according to the Executive Director of the Media Ethics Council in Serbia, Gordana Novakovik, in the case when Ethics Councils are financed by the state, certain mechanisms for protection from government interference in the process of media self-regulation are created, such as the creation of an independent fund.
The media ethics councils of Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey appeal to donors and government to help in providing more stable financial support for institutional and program existence of these professional organizations, but also to help in the affirmation of the mission and the goals of the media ethics councils.
Mедиумските етички совети од Албанија, БиХ, Косово, Северна Македонија, Србија и Турција апелираа до донаторите и до владите да помогнат во обезбедување стабилна финансиска поддршка за институционално и програмско опстојување на овие професионални организации, но и да помогнат во афирмација на мисијата и целите на советите за етика во медиумите.
