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Challenges and Opportunities for Media Diversity and Pluralism

International Round Table

Challenges and Opportunities for Media Diversity and Pluralism: Controlling Concentrations and Ensuring Transparency
Zagreb, Croatia, 28 November 2003

Organized by the Council of Europe Media Division and the Institute for International Relations - IMO, Zagreb

Announcement

A round table entitled Challenges and Opportunities for Media Diversity and Pluralism: Controlling Concentrations and Ensuring Transparency will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, on 28 November 2003. It is organized by the Institute for International Relations (IMO), Zagreb and the Media Division of the Council of Europe with the aim to increase the understanding of new trends in media policies in Europe regarding the protection of media pluralism and diversity, and the application of these experiences in Croatia.

The market and the competition in the media field contribute to the increase in the number of media, media owners and media products as well as to the decrease of influence of governments and politics on mass media content. International trends indicate, however, that the economic logic of the media industries produces an increase of media concentration that may be harmful to media pluralism and diversity, which, at the same time, are one of the key premises for the development of democracy and civil society. Understanding the possible negative effects of media concentration is crucial for the future development of a democratic media policy in Croatia.

The round table will discuss measures for the promotion of pluralism media policies in European countries, including measures to limit monopolies and concentration of ownership, i.e. market domination, as well as activities in support of editorial diversity and pluralism, e.g. supporting public broadcasting organizations.

The event will gather participants responsible for media policy in Croatia, owners of media companies, editors and Croatian and international experts. The expected result of this round table is to arrive at a better understanding of the economic aspects of democratic media policies. The round table will also represent a continuation of the democratization of the public dialogue in this area.

Conference languages are Croatian and English, with simultaneous interpreting.

Draft Agenda

Friday, 28 November 2003

9:30 Opening of the Round Table

Zrinjka Peruško, Department for Culture and Communication, IMO
Mario Oetheimer, Media Division, Council of Europe
Antun Vujić, Minister of Culture (to be confirmed)

9:45 The work of the EU and the Council of Europe work in the area of media pluralism

Session chair: Zrinjka Peruško

Mario Oetheimer, Media Division, Council of Europe
Council of Europe work in the area of media pluralism

Herbert Ungerer, European Commission; Competition DG; Directorate C - Information, communication and multimedia; Media
European Union and media concentration

Discussion

This session is supposed to introduce the topic of pluralism vs. concentration in the media, from the perspective of the activities of international organisations like the Council of Europe and the European Union. As the activities (in setting standards and promoting of specific measures) of these organisations influence the situation at the national level (e.g. the "Television without frontiers" Directive), it is necessary to understand the drift and aims of their activities.

10:45 Anti-concentration measures to ensure diversity and pluralism of structures (ownership, publics, markets, etc.) I

Session chair: Sandra Bašić Hrvatin

Peter A. Bruck, Professor, Institute for information, economy and new media, Salzburg, Austria
Anti-concentration measures to ensure diversity and pluralism of structures: an overview

Sigve Gramstad, Director General, Norwegian Media Ownership Authority, Oslo, Norway
Anti-concentration measures to ensure diversity and pluralism of structures: the example of Norway

Discussion

This session is aimed at showing the different ways in which countries in Western Europe are addressing the issue of concentration and support for diversity.

11:45 Coffee break

12:15 Anti-concentration measures to ensure diversity and pluralism of structures (ownership, publics, markets, etc.) II

Session chair: Zrinjka Peruško

Sandra Bašić Hrvatin, Professor of communication, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
The Slovenian experience in media concentration and pluralism protection

Tanja Ružić, Zagreb, Croatia
The Croatian experience in regulating media concentration

Vesna Alaburić, Lawyer, Zagreb, Croatia
The Croatian approach to regulating media concentration in media specific legislation

Discussion

This session aims to examine in a comparative perspective how different Central and Eastern European countries protect against media concentration, including trans-national concentration, and what measures they use to promote pluralism.

14:00 Recent trends affecting media pluralism

Session Chair: Sigve Gramstad

Zrinjka Peruško, Department for Culture and Communication, IMO, Zagreb, Croatia
The Report on Media Diversity in Europe - Challenges to pluralism

Adrian Fikentscher, Legal Adviser, European Broadcasting Union, Legal and Public Affairs Department
The role of public service broadcasting in media pluralism

Discussion

This session will aim to show the overall trends which influence the concentration/pluralism tension all over the world, and not only specifically in Central and Eastern Europe. Technological development, economic interests and globalising trends will continue to push for concentration in the media, and this needs to be taken into account when public policies are devised.

Final remarks, closing of the conference

15:30 Lunch for all participants

Reader

The Round Table Reader is available here in PDF format (806 kB).

Presentations

The following PowerPoint presentations given at the meeting are available for downloading:

Documentation

The following final version of the paper presented at the meeting is available for downloading in MS Word format:

Background Information

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