Media Self-Regulation in South East Europe: Guide to Best Practices for the Digital Age

Media self-regulation is a set of voluntary limitations and guidelines for media professionals regarding their editorial and professional standards. A press council, which handles complaints from media users about breach of the journalistic ethical guidelines, is a common form of media self-regulation mechanism. This United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) publication offers an analytical summary combined with best practices of how media self-regulatory bodies like these in South East Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Kosovo) have been adapting to the digital era.

As noted here: "In the circumstances of the digital content market, characterised by numerous media outlets on different platforms with a varying degree of adherence to professional reporting, misinformation and incitement to hatred may spread within seconds. The levels of trust in both traditional and new media are decreasing. This is of particular relevance in complex social and political realities of the countries covered by this report, many of which face post-conflict challenges. It is exactly these situations and trends what makes this overview and guide to best practices of self-regulation relevant. Namely, increased levels of media professionalism and strong defence of media freedom, which are shared goals of the South East Europe media self-regulatory bodies, can serve as a remedy."

The contents of the guide are based on a survey conducted as part of the project "Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey" (see Related Summaries, below), which ended in May 2019 and was implemented through collaboration with various regional and international partners, together with self-regulatory bodies and journalists' associations.

The resource shows how press and media councils are regularly using new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enhance their functioning and visibility towards citizens; for greater clarity and readability, the results of the survey are presented in tables accompanied with short descriptions. Examples include a website with a transparent database of the complaints received and adjudications, the possibility for media readers to submit a complaint via an online form, and the use of Facebook and Instagram to communicate about their activities.

The publication also discusses the challenges these councils face as they attempt to participate in and benefit from the online world - e.g., there are no uniform trends as to which aspects to digital journalism are incorporated into the codes of ethics - and possible solutions - e.g., developing new ethical guidelines for journalists about their use of social media.

Best practices identified by the survey include: developing new guidelines about news automation and artificial intelligence; rewarding of compliance with ethics through using online labels for members of press councils; encouraging advertisers to withhold advertising when media are not respecting certain ethical criteria; developing mobile phone applications; and investing in Media and Information Literacy (MIL).

It is UNESCO's hope that other self-regulatory mechanisms can benefit from the experience of press and media councils in South East Europe.