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ENJN closing conference: main takeaways - Day 2

More than 200 journalists and media professionals from southern Mediterranean, Eastern European and Southern Caucasus countries met on 10-11 October at the ENJN closing conference in Brussels to exchange views on the democratising power of new media in the context of the Arab Spring revolutions and gather insights from experiences in Eastern Europe. Speakers and participants engaged in a lively debate, moderated by   journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, on the challenges facing the business of news reporting in transition countries. Here are the main takeaways of the discussions that took place on the first day of the conference.

Lessons to be learned from media developments in Eastern Europe and Arab countries

Two main questions were addressed in this session: How do media developments in Eastern Europe compare with those in Arab countries that are undergoing in social, economic and political transformations and what can be learned from their experience?

Panelists:

Leon Morse, Managing Editor, Media Sustainability Index and Deputy Director, Media Development Division, International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)
Konstanty Gebert, Essayist, Author and Correspondent with Gazeta Wyborcza
Dagmar Hovestädt, Spokesperson, Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives
Jamal Dajani, Award winning producer and Vice President of Middle East, North
Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean at Internews Network

Leon Morse: In spite of the social, political and cultural differences between the MENA regions and Eastern Europe, there are lessons learned from the democratisation of the former communist block that can be applied across the map. Institutions supporting change should be rigorous in requiring a respect of basic freedoms from the onset. Half measures would not yield sustainability. The challenges to freedom of speech and free media, never cease, also in established democracies. It is an onward journey that never ends. Countries under transition should never feel that they must accept the plan from a donor that is flawed or lacking. It is not offensive to help donors learn how to spend their money. They can be critical and in doing so they will not offend them. Effective media development is built upon equal partnerships and teamwork. Donors should not be afraid to create commercially successful media. They should not ignore the business management side of their operation.

Jamal Dajani: It is important to avoid inappropriate analogies between the former Communist block and the MENA region. Nevertheless, we can identify certain lessons from the democratisation of Eastern Europe, which are generally useful. The old boys don’t just walk away. The overwhelming regime influence from the top would remain, decades after its toppling. Old habits die hard, that is to say that government- and self-enforced censorship, which make it hard for journalists to do their job, do not easily disappear. Creating sustainable media in a transitional state takes time. The support extended to them should be long lasting, or else they would be taken over by undemocratic forces. Citizen journalists are a strong force, but their influence is easily dampened. It is important to take advantage of opportunities once they appear. If the legal and cultural practices don’t change in that short period, people lose faith, and the momentum is lost.

Konstanty Gebert: One thing that made Poland so successful in changing its media scene so well and so quickly was the existence of an underground media scene made up competent, critical writers, with credibility as their primary asset. All the reserves that I am hearing now about the possible downfall of the Arab revolution, I already heard them in the days of Poland. In all common sense, the fall of the iron curtain, without a bloodshed, in 1989, was truly a miracle. If we could do it, there is no reason why it would not happen again. Whoever pays your salary dictates your work. Media outlets should be financially independent, otherwise they can be influenced by outside interests. This means that they would be betraying the citizens’ interests. There may not be such a thing as press freedom, but what is sure is that there is such a thing as press unfreedom. The day you think you have won press freedom, is the day you start losing it. The fight for press freedom is a struggle that is never won.

Dagmar Hovestädt: The federal commission for the Stasi archives is a model of how a society can come to terms with a very dark chapter in its past - the legacy of a secret police, that supported a repressive regime. The past cannot simply be discarded, people must have the opportunity to deal with it. To give people back their dignity, they mush have control of the information concerning them. This information belongs to them, and them only. Access to the files is paramount.
But most importantly, make sure the papers don’t disappear and that the system doesn’t cover its track. By understanding how “unfreedom” works, we can better defend democracy.

Revised European Neighbourhood Policy

                                 

Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, gave a keynote speech on the new priorities and goals of the revised European Neighbourhood Policy and elaborated on the newly adopted EU package of support for North Africa and Middle East SPRING progromme (Support for Partnership, Reform & Inclusive Growth).

Štefan Füle: We now have better tools to make our EN policy not only more transparent but also more coherent. In the new EN policy, the level of EU support will be adapted and conditional to progress assessment. The new EU Neighbourhood policy will not be just for the benefit of authorities but also for civil society. We want a structured dialogue with civil society in the countries of the EU neighbourhood, with input from authorities. The EU has also committed a new package of support for North Africa & Middle East SPRING progromme (Support for Partnership, Reform & Inclusive Growth). We need the media’s help in communication the objectives and the content of our policy clearly. The media has an important role to play in this endeavour.

 

What is the value of the ENJN network?

In the final session of the conference, panelists and delegates shared experiences they were able to gather as members of the European Neighbourhoold Journalism Network and expressed their wish for the initiative to continue its support to journalists in the EN regions.

Nonna Anna Stefanova

Panelists:

David Quin, ENJN Head of Training, Thomson Foundation
Richard Tynen, Head of Business Development, Thomson Foundation
Eric Karstens, European Journalism Centre
Ekaterine Saria, Rustavi 2, Georgia
Hamza Al Sou’d, Amman Net Radio Station, Jordan
Nonna Anna Stefanova, Channel 5, Ukraine
Abdul-Hakim Mousa Salah, Ma’an News Agency, Palestinian Territory

Ekaterine Saria: I would like to see this project go on. We were able to follow problems and achievements of developing democracies. We should preserve this site and the network and make them more active. I believe it is interesting to witness events that happen in other areas.

Delegate Aliaa Hamed: My best friend @Mera_Ibrahim sitting beside me now in #ENJN in Brussels is Christian but I rarely remember this fact, actually I don’t care. (via Twitter)

Delegate Aliaa Hamed: Impressed by how the Westerns have faith in our revolution’s power more than we do. Hearing what said in #ENJN I wish all Egyptians hear it. (via Twitter)

Delegate: My advice to the EU is to do the training in the countries and train the trainers.

Delegate: The ENJN provided support and protected journalists subjected to violence for doing their job.

Delegate: As journalists we are not alone, we are part of a network.

The European Neighbourhood Journalism Network ENJN is a four-year media development project funded by the European Union, aiming at providing training and networking opportunities for journalists, editors, producers, and other media professionals of southern Mediterranean, Eastern European and southern Caucasus countries. The project is led by a consortium formed by the Thomson Foundation, the European Journalism Centre, the International Federation of Journalists and BBJ.

Links:
ENJN closing conference: main takeaways - Day 1
Article: In the aftermath of the Arab Spring revolutions, journalists ask: “Who is a journalist?”, by Sueli Brodin
ENJN closing conference website
ENJN website
Photo coverage
Video coverage
Blog post by conference moderator Samira Ahmed

Reporting: Moran Barkai, Hanna McLean, Diana Lungu
Editing: Sueli Brodin
Video production: Remko Nijsten
Photos: Lucas Daniels, Sueli Brodin

Tags: 2011, arab spring, conference, democracy, enjn, eu, european, free speech, journalism, neighbourhood, network,

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