MIL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION

Functions of media and other information providers such as libraries, archives and the Internet

Media and other providers of information play different roles to meet our different information needs. We often hear that the role of media is to inform and to educate. In fact, there is a difference between the two:

• To inform is to provide relevant data on a specific subject. Sometimes, this data is limited to a specific group of people.

• To educate is to go beyond providing relevant information by helping people gain a deeper knowledge through additional data, context, and analysis of information

The role of a sales brochure about a new smartphone is to inform potential buyers of its features. The role of a consumer website that compares different phones based on price and features is to educate consumers about their choices. According to the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Manual, the best sources of information are fair, objective, lack hidden motives, and show quality.

Other roles of media providers are:

• fo facilitate teaching and learning process;
• to provide access to all types of information;
• to serve as gateway to information;
• to promote universal values and civil rights such as freedom of expression, speech, and of the press;
• so serve as society’s collective memory;
• to gather more information;
• to preserve cultural heritage; and
• to entertain.

Journalism and media sources are important in every society. Without journalists and the news media, there would be no ‘window on the world’— we would have little way of knowing what was happening in our communities or in the world beyond our immediate experience. There are several key factors that journalistic practices should respect, and that citizens have come to expect of journalism:

• Organizing knowledge – making chaotic information organized and comprehensible, and going behind official positions to uncover special interests
• Truthfulness – in the media, sources of information should be clearly stated so that citizens can judge relevance, reliability and potential biases; important unanswered questions should be noted with an expectation of a follow up if controversy exists
• Public interest – in the work they do, journalists can do much to further the public interest by equipping citizens with the information they need to take part in public affairs
• Independence – it should be clear that the citizen debate should take place over and above personal biases; commentators must examine ‘both sides of the coin’ (i.e. discuss ideas they both agree and disagree with); and journalists must show independent thinking in their work
• Forum for public criticism and problem solving – the media should offer several channels for public interaction (letters, e-mail, phone contact or public  forum);  citizens also expect that the media give them access to space or airtime to allow conversations in their own ‘language’ with fellow citizens; further, they expect that a broad representation of views and values is visible in news coverage
• Accountability – the media should monitor all those who exercise power, not only governments, but also important public and private bodies; by holding the powerful to account, the media can inform community thinking
• Proportional and relevant news – citizens have a need for timely knowledge of important issues and trends; reports should not overstate or understate the true nature of threats and risks
• Balancing privacy and the right to know – citizens expect media professionals to balance the public right to know with the personal right to privacy

(cf. Fackson Banda, UNESCO, 2009)

Access to information is essential for both democracy and development. Citizens have the right to free speech and the right of access to public information. This information is equally  the property of citizens. Media  and  other information providers  such as libraries, archives and the Internet should help to ensure the right to freedom of information for each citizen.

The role of media and other information providers is changing with the rapid spread of technologies, such as information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICTs provide access to information and knowledge almost instantaneously. Media and information providers, such as libraries, archives and the Internet, are able to provide new  services  and are becoming more than just resource centres or information providers. These new possibilities offer new opportunities for effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of citizens for life-long learning, research and entertainment, and for connecting communities.

Media and information providers have several key functions, which include:

• providing open access to information resources without any racial, gender, occupational and religious restrictions; public libraries, in particular, provide access free of charge
• protecting readers’ privacy and confidentiality in terms of content consulted on the premises or online
• providing access to diverse and plural information resources, based on professionalism and without political, religious or moral bias
• collecting and preserving information for future generations

INDEPENDENCE, PLURALITY AND DIVERSITY                    FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, EDITORIAL

Freedom of information and expression underpin media and information literacy. In this context, the use of the related term freedom of information refers to access to public information. ‘Information is key to our understanding of the world around us, our ability to find a meaningful role in it, and our capacity to take advantage of the resources available to us. When information is concentrated in the hands of a few or only in the hands of elites, the public’s ability both to make decisions and to assess the decisions is greatly reduced. An ethical and pluralistic media can ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law.’ (UNESCO Freedom of Expression Tool Kit) Independent media draw their power from reporting responsibly on the communities they serve.

—      FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ANDTHE PRESS

Freedom of expression is the freedom to express and exchange views and opinions without fear of threats or punitive action. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. The right to freedom of expression protects not only freedom of speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. Freedom of the press is a necessary underpinning of this right as it enables free expression to be public and shared, and is thus essential to the building and supporting of communities and civil society. Freedom of expression can promote a true sense of ownership within society by allowing ordinary individuals to examine and express different thoughts and opinions. Freedom of expression is an integral part of civic responsibility, and essential for critical thinking. Restrictions to freedom of expression are allowed only when such restrictions are necessary to protect the freedoms of others. Limitations, such as the laws preventing ‘hate speech’, should be narrowly defined to avoid misuse.

—      MEDIA PLURALISM

A pluralistic media sector – one that crosses media platforms (print, broadcast, online), locale (national, provincial and community) and political perspectives – helps societies to better reflect on themselves. When media operation is dispersed into many hands, opinions that are not popular can often still find a forum. An effective mix of international, national and local media outlets can give people the means to participate in democratic processes. The widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources contributes to people’s welfare. While separately owned newspapers and broadcasters generally criticize each other’s content, the concentration of media under common ownership is far from offering mutual criticism and could lead to promotional or advocacy media.

—      EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

Editorial independence refers to the professional freedom entrusted to editors to make editorial decisions without interference from the owners of the media or any other state or non-state actors. Editorial independence is tested, for instance, when a media organization runs articles that may be unpopular with its owners or advertisers.

• Using the Internet and library resources, research the ownership and control of today’s

major media companies and government monopolies. List their major holdings. What impact might this ownership have on access, choice and freedom of expression? Research the laws that are in place in your country or community to regulate media ownership and control

• Assess the role of alternative or independent media in your Select one example, and describe the key ingredients that make it independent. In what ways does it allow people to participate in the democratic process? In what ways is it different from mainstream media?
• Research the work of organizations that promote freedom of expression or protect journalists, such as Article 19, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders or regional and national NGOs. Focus on the work of journalists supported by these organizations and identify the key elements of their work that makes the worthy of support
• Discuss why the government should respect the right of media to editorial independence and, in particular, should refrain from putting pressure on the media with respect to their news and current affairs In this context, discuss the following quote from Corazon Aquino, the former President of the Philippines, who led the transformation that made her country’s authoritarian government into a democracy

‘So closely intertwined is the concept of press freedom with democracy that a leader must approach any attempt to impose even the most legal limitations on it with great care. The risks are great, not only to one’s reputation as a democratic leader, but to one’s virtue and commitment to democracy. For  the totalitarian temptation is immense and there are always sycophants who would be willing to help one stretch the meaning of democracy to include a multitude of despotic sins.’

Expand the discussion to other potential influences over editorial independence and suggest how such undue influences could be prevented.

Discuss what is meant by a narrowly defined law.