ITP Media Reference Book - State, Self- and Co-regulation: Legal Frameworks and Professional Standards for Independent News Media

"...there is an urgent need to find new ways to support and enable public-interest journalism as an essential contributor to a political culture of transparency and democratic accountability. Rebuilding trust in the news media is one of the greatest challenges facing democratic societies everywhere in the world today."

This reference book seeks to help build the capacity of the media to advocate for better media regulation in an effort to strengthen independent journalism. In particular, it looks at how statutory, self-, and co-regulation can jointly contribute to the development of sustainable, professional, and independent news media while avoiding onerous state controls and self-censorship and promoting freedom of expression and public democratic debate. It does this by exploring the legal and professional frameworks, philosophies, histories, and current challenges in the field of media regulation and self-regulation around the world today, with models for improving these mechanisms and strengthening public trust in the news media.

The reference book forms part of the International Training Programme (ITP) on Media Self-Regulation in a Democratic Context, which is supported by Sweden's International Development Agency (Sida) and implemented by NIRAS Sweden, International Media Support (IMS), Global Reporting Sweden, and the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University. Operating in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the programme has the overall objective of strengthening mechanisms for media self-regulation and independence. The programme, which includes technical workshops, study visits, strategy sessions, and the production of course materials (including this reference book), seeks to stimulate and aid programme participants in pursuing their own national and regional initiatives around media regulation, with a particular emphasis on the principles and practical models for media self-regulation.

As explained in the guide, "it is a core premise of this reference book and the overall programme that effective self-regulation is an essential method for the news media to maintain its independence, professionalism, and public trust. Self-regulation is a voluntary process where journalists, publishers and others who are engaged in the production of journalism develop their own oversight and feedback systems, in accord with accepted professional and ethical norms. Hence, if media does not regulate itself in a sensible trustworthy way, the state will step in and regulate but with the risk of violating fundamental values of freedom of expression and freedom of media."

According to the publishers, the guide "is neither intended as a media development 'bible' nor as a set of policy recommendations, but as a guidebook for understanding different regulatory challenges and systems. It provides examples of precedents and options for local media initiatives and reforms, both statutory and voluntary. It does not promote any specific regulatory models as optimal because there is no one-size-fits-all framework for media support and oversight. One fundamental assumption in this programme is that all countries need to develop their own regulatory and self/co-regulatory frameworks based on their historical, legal, journalistic, democratic, and cultural traditions."

The specific learning objective of the guide is to explain:

• Key concepts related to regulation and self-regulation of media;
• How media regulation and self-regulation of media are the main elements of any democratic society; and
• The relationships between key concepts of media regulation and self-regulation, freedom of expression, and public democratic discourse.

The chapters are as follows:

1. International Media Rights and Media Standards: National, Regional, International
2. Official Regulation: State Agencies, Ministries & Courts
3. Internal Self-regulation: Newsroom Ethics and Accountability
4. External Self-regulation: Oversight by Peers and the Public
5. Co-regulation: A Partnership Model
6. Gender in Media Regulation
7. Social Media: Regulatory Challenges in the Digital Age
8. Building Trust and Ensuring a Future for the News Media

The publishers note that this second draft edition of the reference book should be considered a working material that needs to be used by the programme's staff and participants in the field in order to make sure that the content and selection of examples are relevant. It is not a material that is intended to be read from cover to cover but, rather, to be used as reference material for discussion and seminars on content matters of the programme.

The reference book is accompanied by "A Change Initiative Handbook: How to Make Change Happen in the ITP!", which provides inspiration and tools to stimulate and help programme participants with their national/regional change processes aimed at creating functional up-to-date systems and structures for self-regulation, in coordination with the organisational and legal structures in each country. Click here to access this 26-page resource.