Independent, self-regulatory media accountability mechanisms

To encourage an accountable, transparent and trustworthy media landscape in all participating States, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) encourages the creation of independent self-regulatory media accountability mechanisms. These include both adherence to journalistic codes of ethics as well as the establishment of complaints mechanisms, in the form of either in-house ombudspersons or industry-wide press/media councils. The Representative and their office enable these initiatives through expert advice, workshops and the publication of expert guidebooks.

The adoption of self-regulatory media accountability mechanisms is not only crucial for maintaining ethical standards in journalism, but also represents the strongest defence against excessive State regulation. Strong guarantees of independence of any self-regulatory mechanism are core to their success.

Expert meeting

This roundtable discussion focused on reports about relevant efforts by journalists' associations and self-regulation bodies, aiming to identify best practices and provide recommendations from the RFoM.