FC: Council of Europe on May 14 debates limiting media, speech

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

On May 14, the Council of Europe (the U.S. is a non-voting member) will 
debate limiting freedom of expression when it comes to terrorism. The 
suggestions are phrased in the form of questions, but it's pretty clear 
where whomever drafted them is going.

The text of the questions is here (and reproduced below):
http://www.humanrights.coe.int/media/events/2002/QuestionnaireCDMM(E).rtf

Background on the Council of Europe:
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03159.html

-Declan

---

Questions concerning freedom of expression and information and terrorism
to be debated during the hearing to be held by the CDMM
on 14 May 2002


I. 	Scope and limits of freedom of expression

A. Freedom of expression of persons suspected, accused or convicted of 
terrorism

1.	What limitations on freedom of expression of persons suspected, accused 
or convicted of terrorism may be justified?

B. Freedom and responsibilities of the media and the right of the public to 
be informed

The following questions may call for different answers depending on the 
nature of the media, its form or readership/audience. Furthermore, the CDMM 
is interested in discussing these questions from the point of view of both 
State regulation and self-regulation by the media.

1.	What limitations on the rights of the media or what specific obligations 
for the media may be justified concerning:

(i)	the dissemination of statements from suspected or convicted terrorists,
(ii)	access to areas where terrorist acts have taken place or where police 
or military personnel is active in combating terrorism,
(iii)	the publication/broadcasting of images of terrorist acts or of the 
results of these acts,
(iv)	reports on measures to fight terrorism,
(v)	the disclosure of journalists' sources of information about terrorist 
activities.

2.	Do the media have specific obligations concerning respect for the 
presumption of innocence of persons suspected or accused of terrorism?

3.	Do the media have a duty to be impartial when covering/reporting on acts 
of terrorism?

II. 	Obligations of public authorities

1.	To what extent can it be justified for public authorities to withhold 
information, or even present deliberately false information, in order to 
fight terrorism?  Under what possible control and by whom?

2.	How can the public authorities best fulfil their obligation to protect 
media professionals from being the victim of terrorist acts and to 
investigate and bring to justice the authors of such acts?

III. 	How to promote active contribution by the media to intercultural and 
inter-religious dialogue?

1.	Terrorist violence often arises from the perception (real or supposed) 
that the community is a victim of injustice from a more powerful enemy. Do 
the media have the responsibility to expose and, as appropriate, dismiss 
such perceptions and to counteract prejudices, and how can they best 
achieve this objective?

2.	How can or should the media play an active role in increasing 
understanding between different ethnic or religious groups and thus in 
preventing violent clashes and terrorism? Does television have a specific 
role to play in this respect?  Can/should public authorities 
support/encourage such initiatives and in the affirmative, how?

3.	Are there concrete examples of self-regulatory initiatives by the media 
in order to promote better understanding between different ethnic or 
religious groups?

4.	How to avoid media professionals (journalists, editors, etc.) being 
influenced by ethnic, religious or other prejudices when reporting on 
terrorism and related events?

IV. 	Possible action by the Council of Europe

1. 	What, in your opinion, could or should the Council of Europe do 
regarding the above questions?

###

---

From: Paul Mobbs <mobbsey@gn.apc.org>
To: ir-l@gn.apc.org, apc-euroir-ws@gn.apc.org
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 21:03:07 +0100
X-Mailer: KMail [version 1.2]
Cc: declan@well.com
Subject: Council of Europe: Expression, Terrorism & Freedom of 
Communication on Net

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Hi all,

Some interesting info from Council of Europe... espacially Draft Declaration
on freedom of communication on the Internet

http://www.humanrights.coe.int/media/




Hearing on freedom of expression and terrorism

(10/04/02) The Council of Europe Steering Committee on the Mass Media (CDMM)
has decided to organise a hearing on media and terrorism on 14 May 2002. The
objective is to examine whether any policy or other initiative should be
taken by the Council of Europe in this specific area in order to ensure
respect for Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

For this purpose, the CDMM has prepared a list of questions (EN / FR), which
is being circulated to a large number of interested organisations from the
media and other relevant sectors.


Draft Declaration on freedom of communication on the Internet

  (09/04/2002) The Group of Specialists on on-line services and democracy has
decided to invite the public to comment on a draft Declaration on freedom of
communication on the Internet (EN /  FR). Please send your comments to the
Media Division by 1 May 2002.



Charter to protect journalists working in dangerous conditions

  (14/03/2002) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published today a Charter for
the Safety of Journalists Working in War Zones or Dangerous Areas aimed at
averting or at least reducing the risks that war reporters run in the course
of their work. The press freedom organisation is asking editors to adopt it
and observe it. The Charter is downloadable from the RSF website.


<SNIP>


- --
- -------------------

"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for
this party nor against the other but we are for justice and mercy and
truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation,
and that goodness, righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity
with God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
(Edward Burroughs, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice')


Paul Mobbs, Mobbs' Environmental Investigations,
3 Grosvenor Road, Banbury OX16 5HN, England
tel./fax (+44/0)1295 261864

email - mobbsey@gn.apc.org
website - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mobbsey.html
public key - http://www.fraw.org.uk/keylist.html

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