DAY ONE
Thursday, December 1, 2022

WORKSHOP: Evaluating Quality Journalism via Common Standards
Led by the Endowment Fund for Independent Journalism (NFNZ)

Independent media are facing multiple threats. Not yet having recovered from the emergence of online journalism, social platforms and the new standard of disseminating information through direct access, they often have to fight for the exclusive right of being called Media given the vast arrange of actors in the digital sector. The weapon of war – the everlasting disinformation campaign – has an evident primary aim – to abruptly destroy any trust readers have in media. This situation is apparent around Europe.

The solutions adopted by different states are not unified (so far). Public subsidies (direct and indirect), establishing regulatory bodies, marketing campaigns, the measures all depend on each country’s history and people’s trust in its democratic institutions. There is one underlying condition for all of the solutions to be implemented though. It is the possibility of having an outside, impartial view of the media in question. An objective evaluation of their quality.

This topic raises many questions – and many eyebrows – having possible connotations with censorship, meddling with the media content, journalists’ professional standards and other relevant aspects. We strongly believe there is a need for common European standards of journalism and we plan to explore the matter during the workshop on the basis of existing media monitoring systems and their values.

Topics to be covered:

• Differences between western and eastern European approaches to media rating
• Existing systems of media monitoring and ranking
• Introduction to Czech system of Media Rating: How to measure quality in journalism and abstain from censorship & discrimination
• Evaluation of quality as basis for support

AGENDA

10:00   Opening: keynote speech by the host Jiří Kučera: Freedom, media and rules.

10:20    When is the evaluation of media necessary?     

• Jan Motal, Masaryk University

10:40   Media Pluralism Monitor     

• Václav Štětka, Loughborough University

11:05   Journalism Trust Initiative     

• Chloe Fiodiere, Reporters Without Borders

11:30   MediaRating     

• Josef Šlerka, NFNZ

11:55   EuroMedia Ownership Monitor     

• Josef Trappel, University of Salzburg

12:20   Lunch break

13:00   Is a comprehensive media assessment framework possible?     

• Facilitator: Josef Šlerka
  
  Limits of presented approaches (SWOT analysis)
  Summary of the values the monitors are built on
  Can we find a common ground?
  All media monitoring principles in one package

Coffee break included

15:40    Concluding remarks and summary

16:00    Media Freedom in the Czech Republic

• Michal Klima, Government Advisor for media freedom and disinformation
• Lucie Sykorova,  Association of Online Publishers Czech Republic, Chair Supervisory Board ECPMF
• Robert Čásenský, Editor-in-Chief, Reporter Magazine (TBC)