Support to Independent Media in Russia
Improving conditions for editorial independence of journalism and raising awareness of the media's role
Context and Issue:
The Russian regional media have expanded and grown exponentially over the last decade, both in terms of the relative number of active broadcasters and publishers, as well as their technical standards. This project seeks to address the current challenges faced by regional media owners, managers and journalists, as well as those who oversee, defend, challenge and court them – press officers, lawyers, local officials, law enforcement officers, judges and civil society organisations. Several obstacles remain to be overcome in terms of the development of professional standards and ethics for the industry, political, economic and legal environment within which the media operate as well as public confidence in the media that has been damaged by controversy over coverage of major crisis. This project is designed to help create a better environment for the development of independent and responsible media, while fostering improved communication and understanding between the media and local authorities.
Project's activities:
In six pilot regions of the Russian Federation - Krasnoyarsky Krai, Rostov region, Hanti-Mansijsk region, the North-West region (inluding St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Velikiy Novgorod), Voronezh region and Tatarstan) Internews led a consortium of five organisations (the Higher School of Economics, Reuters Foundation, World Association of Newspapers, ECU Consulting, Stanhope Centre) to develop the Regional Media Support Programme. The project included several seminars - to enhance knowledge, capacity and awareness of administrative personnel on media management, strategy development or legal matters - but also training programmes to ameliorate writing skills and research trips to promote media self-regulation.
Participants and Beneficiaries:
The two Project Partner beneficiaries in this project were selected to represent the broadcast media industry and the print media industry. For the broadcast media industry, the choice was clear – the National Association of TV and Radio Broadcasters (NAT) is the biggest and most representative industry association for regional television and radio companies in the country. the Alliance of Editors of the Russian Regional Media (ARS-Press) represents a cross-section of the older more established newspapers still operating on a regional basis. The quality and experience of these organizations are different but not to be questioned.
Outcomes:
Internews and its partners held three three-day conferences with no less than 60 managers/editors participated in each and two seven-day seminars on “Transferring Legal Expertise”. The consortium also organised teacher training for university lecturers training students in media law. The program began with an innovative 10-day training programme entitled “Multi-Skilled Journalism’’ for Russian journalists. Three four-day “Multi-Skilled Journalism” seminars were carried out in each region, including two three-day seminars for press officers and journalists. To promote media self-regulation, three-day research trips occured in each region, as well as a three-day seminar for coordinators of self-regulatory bodies. A general meeting to document their progress followed the seminar. Reports on self-regulation in each region culminated in a two-day conference to be held in Moscow. To enhance cooperation between media and the authorities, two two-day seminars entitled “Changing Places” and one three-day seminar specifically for journalists and judges will be conducted in each region. A group of twelve individuals (six judges and six law-enforcement officers) was selected to participate in a study tour to Europe. ARS Press and NAT not only received institutional support for their events and services, but also useful material for website development to enhance their presence in the regions targeted in the project.
"We really need this in our work, especially through dialogue, combination of lectures and discussion"
I.Matveev, participant of a seminar in Petrozavodsk
