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SOUTH CAUCASUS JOURNALISTS DISCUSS MEDIA ETHICS AND SELF-REGULATION
[04:54 pm] 12 October, 2007
TBILISI, 12 October 2007 – The challenges and prospects of media
self-regulation were the focus of the Fourth South Caucasus Media
Conference that ended in Tbilisi today.
"It is only in a free media environment that media self-regulation can
develop and benefit both society and quality journalism" said Miklos
Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media, in a message to
the participants of the conference.
"Public authorities could best support the work of self-regulatory
mechanisms by creating legal frameworks that guarantee freedom of
expression and pluralism in the media."
The event, provided an annual forum to discuss media freedom issues in
the South Caucasus, and brought together more than sixty journalists
from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as local and
international experts.
Participants shared experiences and best practices of media
self-regulation, and discussed ways it can increase ethical standards
while protecting editorial freedom.
The conference concluded with the adoption of the South Caucasus
Declaration on Media Self-regulation.
The event was organized by the Office of the Representative on Freedom
of the Media and the OSCE mission to Georgia.