Many Voices, One World
The MacBride Report 1980
Source: Unesco, Many Voices, One World, Paris: Unesco, 1980.
"Conclusions and Recommendations: Introduction and Part I."
Conclusions and recommendations
1. Our review of communication the world over reveals a variety of solutions adopted in different countries -- in accordance with diverse traditions, patterns of social, economic and cultural life, needs and possibilities. This diversity is valuable and should be respected; there is no place for the universal application of preconceived models. yet it should be possible to establish, in broad outline, common aims and common values in the sphere of communication, based on common interests in a world of interdependence. The whole human race is threatened by the arms race and by the persistence of unacceptable global inequalities, both of which generate tensions and which jeopardize its future and even its survival. The contemporary situation demands A BETTER MORE JUST AND MORE DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL ORDER, AND THE REALIZATION OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS. These goals can be achieved only through understanding and tolerance, gained in large part by free, open and balanced communications.
2. The review has also shown that the utmost importance should be given to eliminating imbalances and disparities in communication and its structures, and particularly in information flows. Developing countries need to reduce their dependence, and claim a new more just and more equitable order in the field of communication. This issue has been fully debated in various settings; the time has now come to move from principles to substantive reforms and concrete action.
3. Our conclusions are founded on the firm conviction that communication is a basic individual right, as well as a collective one required by all communities and nations. Freedom of information -- and, more specifically the right to seek , receive and impart information -- is a fundamental human right; indeed, a prerequisite for many others. The inherent nature of communication means that its fullest possible exercise and potential depend on the surrounding political, social and economic conditions, the most vital of these being democracy within countries and equal, democratic relations between them. It is in this context that the democratization of communication at national and international levels, as well as the larger role of communication in democratizing society, acquires utmost importance.
4. For these purposes, it is essential to develop comprehensive national communication policies linked to overall social, cultural and economic development objectives. Such policies should evolve from broad consultations with all sectors concerned and adequate mechanisms for wide participation of organized social groups in their definition and implementation. National governments as much as the international community should recognize the urgency of according communications higher priority in planning and funding. Every country should develop its communication patterns in accordance with its own conditions, needs and traditions, thus strengthening its integrity, independence and self- reliance.
5. The basic considerations which are developed at length in the body of our Report are intended to provide a framework for the development of a new information and communication order. We see its implementation as an ongoing process of change in the nature of relations between and within nations in the field of communication. Imbalances in national information and communication systems are a s disturbing and unacceptable as social, economic, cultural and technological (both national and international) disparities. Indeed, rectification of the latter is inconceivable in any true or lasting sense without elimination of the former. Crucial decisions concerning communication development need to be taken urgently at both national and international levels. These decisions are not merely the concern of professionals, researchers, or scholars, nor can they be the sole prerogative of those holding political or economic power. The decision - making process has to involve social participation at all levels. This calls for new attitudes for overcoming stereotyped thinking and to promote more understanding of diversity and plurality, with full respect for the dignity and equality of peoples living in different ways.
Thus our call for reflection and action is addressed broadly to governments and international organizations, to policy makers and planners, to the media and professional organizations, to researchers, communication practitioners, to organized social groups and the public at large.
1. Strengthening independence and self reliance
Communication Policies
All individuals and people collectively have an inalienable right to a better life which, howsoever conceived, must ensure a social minimum nationally and globally. This calls for the strengthening of capacities and the elimination of gross inequalities; such defects may threaten social harmony and even international peace. There must be a measured movement from disadvantage and dependence to self- reliance and the creation of more equal opportunities. Since communication is interwoven with every aspect of life, it is clearly of the utmost importance that the existing 'communication gap' be rapidly narrowed and eventually eliminated.
We recommend:
6. Communication be no longer regarded merely as an incidental service and its development left to chance. Recognition of its potential warrants the formulation by all nations, and particularly developing countries, of comprehensive communication policies linked to overall social, cultural, economic and political goals. Such policies should be based on inter-ministerial and interdisciplinary consultations with broad public participation. The object must be to utilize the unique capacities of each form of communication, from interpersonal and traditional to the most modern, to make people and societies aware of their rights, harmonize unity in diversity , and foster the growth of individuals and communities within the wider frame of national development in an interdependent world.
7. As language embodies the cultural experience of people all languages should be adequately developed to serve the complex and diverse requirements of modern communication. Developing nations and multilingual societies need to evolve language policies that promote all national languages even while selecting some, where necessary, for more widespread use in communication, higher education and administration. There is also need in certain situations for the adaptation, simplification, and standardization of scripts and development of keyboards, preparation of dictionaries and modernized systems of language learning, transcription of literature in widely-spoken national languages. The provision of simultaneous interpretation and automated translation facilities now under experimentation for cross-cultural communication to bridge linguistic divides should also be envisaged.
8. A primary policy objective should be to make elementary education available to all and to wipe out illiteracy, supplementing formal schooling systems with non-formal education and enrichment within appropriate structures of continuing and distance learning (through radio, television and correspondence).
9. Within the framework of national development policies, each country will have to work out its own set of priorities, bearing in mind that it will not be possible to move in all directions at the same time. But, as far as resources allow, communication policies should aim at stimulating and encouraging all means of communication.
Strengthening Capacities
Communication policies should offer a guide to the determination of information and media priorities and to the selection of appropriate technologies. This is required to plan the installation and development of adequate infrastructures to provide self-reliant communications capacity.
We recommend:
10. Developing countries take specific measures to establish or develop essential elements of their communication systems: print media , broadcasting and telecommunications along with the related training and production facilities.
11. Strong national news agencies are vital for improving each country's national and international reporting. Where viable, regional networks should be set up to increase news flows and serve all the major language groups in the area. Nationally, the agencies should buttress the growth of both urban and rural newspapers to serve as the core of a country's news collection and distribution system.
12. National book production should be encouraged and accompanied by the establishment of a distribution network for books, newspapers and periodicals. The stimulation of works by national authors in various languages should be promoted.
13. The development of comprehensive national radio networks, capable of reaching remote areas should take priority over the development of television, which, however, should be encourage where appropriate. Special attention should be given to areas where illiteracy is prevalent.
14. National capacity for producing broadcast materials is necessary to obviate dependence on external sources over and beyond desirable program exchange. This capacity should include national or regional broadcasting, film and documentary production centers with a basic distribution network.
15. Adequate educational and training facilities are required to supply personnel for the media and production organizations, as well as managers, technicians and maintenance personnel. In this regard, co-operation between neighboring countries and within regions should be encouraged.
Basic Needs
All nations have to make choices in investment priorities. In choosing between possible alternatives and often conflicting interests, developing countries , in particular, must give priority to satisfying their people's essential needs. Communication is not only a system of public information, but also an integral part of education and development.
We recommend:
16. The communication component in all development projects should receive adequate financing. So- called "development support communications" are essential for mobilizing initiatives and providing information required for action in all fields of development - agriculture, health and family planning, education, religion, industry and so on.
17. Essential communication needs to be met include the extension of basic postal services and telecommunication networks through small rural electronic exchanges.
18. The development of a community press in rural areas and small towns would not only provide print support for economic and social extension activities . This would also facilitate the production of functional literature for neo-literates as well.
19. Utilization of local radio, low-cost small format television and video systems and other appropriate technologies would facilitate production of programs relevant to community development efforts, stimulate participation and provide opportunity for diversified cultural expression.
20. The educational and informational use of communication should be given equal priority with entertainment. At the same time, education systems should prepare young people for communication activities. Introduction of pupils at primary and secondary levels to the forms and uses of the means of communication (how to read newspapers, evaluate radio and television programs, use elementary audio-visual techniques and apparatus) should permit the young to understand reality better and enrich their knowledge of current affairs and problems.
21. Organization of community listening and viewing groups could in certain circumstances widen both entertainment and educational opportunities. Education and information activities should be supported by different facilities ranging from mobile book, tape and film libraries to programmed instruction through "schools of the air".
22. Such activities should be aggregated wherever possible in order to create vibrant local communication resource centers for entertainment, education, information dissemination and cultural exchange. They should be supported by decentralized media production centers; educational and extension services should be location specific if they are to be credible and accepted.
23. It is not sufficient to urge that communication be given a high priority in national development; possible sources of investment finance must be identified. Among these could be differential communication pricing policies that would place large burdens on more prosperous urban and elite groups; the taxing of commercial advertising may also be envisaged for this purpose.
Particular Challenges
We have focused on national efforts which must be made to lead to greater independence and self- reliance. But there are three major challenges to this goal that require concerted international action. Simply put, these are paper, tariff structures and the electro-magnetic spectrum.
We recommend:
24. A major international research and development effort to increase the supply of paper. The worldwide shortage of paper, including newsprint and its escalating cost impose crushing burdens upon struggling newspapers, periodicals and the publication industry, above all in the developing countries. Certain ecological constraints have also emerged. Unesco, in collaboration with FAO, should take urgent measures to identify and encourage production of paper and newsprint either by recycling paper or from new sources of feedstock in addition to the wood pulp presently produced largely by certain northern countries. Kenaf, bagasse, tropical woods and grasses could possibly provide alternative sources. Initial experiments are encouraging and need to be supported and multiplied.
25. Tariffs for new transmission, telecommunication rates and air mail charges for the dissemination of news, transport of newspapers, periodicals, books and audio-visual materials are one of the main obstacles to a free and balanced flow of information. This situation must be corrected, especially in the case of developing countries, through a variety of national an international initiatives. Governments should in particular examine the policies and practices of their post an telegraph authorities. Profits or Revenues should not be the primary aim of such agencies. They are instruments for policy-making and planned development in the field of information culture. Their tariffs should be in line with larger national goals. International action is also necessary to alter telecommunication tariffs that militate heavily against small and peripheral users. Current international consultations on this question may be brought to early fruition, possibly at the October 1980 session of the 154 nation International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee, which should have before it specific proposals made by a Unesco-sponsored working group on "Low Telecommunication Rates" (November 1979) . Unesco might, in cooperation with ITU also sponsor an overall study on international telecommunications services by means of satellite transmission in collaboration with Intelsat, Intersputnik and user country representatives to make proposals for international and regional co-ordination or geostationary satellite development. The study should also include investigation of the possibility and practicalities of discounts for transmission of news and preferential rates for certain types of transmission to and from developing countries. Finally, developing countries should investigate the possibility of negotiating preferential tariffs on bilateral or regional basis.
26. The electro-magnetic spectrum and geostationary orbit, both finite natural resources, should be more equitably shared as the common property of mankind. For that purpose, we welcome the decisions taken by the World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC), Geneva, September-November 1979, to convene a series of special conferences over the next few years on certain specific topics related to the utilization of these resources.
II. Social consequences and new tasks
Integrating Communication into Development
Development strategies should incorporate communication policies as an integral part in the diagnosis of needs and in the design and implementation of selected priorities. In this respect communication should be considered a major development resource, a vehicle to ensure real political participation in decision -making, a central information base for defining policy options, and an instrument for creating awareness of national priorities.
We recommend:
1. Promotion of dialogue for development as a central component of both communication and development policies. Implementation of national policies should be carried out through three complementary communication patterns; first, from decision-makers towards different social sectors to transmit information about what they regard as necessary changes in development actions, alternative strategies and the varying consequences of the different alternatives; second, among and between diverse social sectors in a horizontal information network to express exchange views on their different demands, aspirations, objective needs and subjective motivations; third, between decision-makers and all social groups through permanent participatory mechanisms for two-way information flows to elaborate development goals and priorities and make decisions on utilization of resources. Each one of these patterns requires the design of specific information programs, using different communication means.
2. In promoting communication policies, special attention should be given to the use of non-technical language and comprehensible symbols, images and forms to ensure popular understanding of development issues and goals. Similarly, development information supplied to the media should be adapted to prevailing news values and practices, which in turn should be encouraged to be more receptive to development needs and problems.
Facing the Technological Challenge
The technological explosion in communication has both great potential and great danger. The outcome depends on crucial decisions and on where and by whom they are taken. Thus, it is a priority to organize the decision-making process in a participatory manner on the basis of a full awareness of the social impact of different alternatives.
We recommend:
3. Devising policy instruments at the national level in order to evaluate the positive and negative social implications of the introduction of powerful new communication technologies. The preparation of technological impact surveys can be a useful tool to assess the consequences for life-styles, relevance for under-privileged sectors of society, cultural influence, effects of employment patterns and similar factors. This is particularly important when making choices with respect to the development of communication infrastructures.
4. Stetting up national mechanisms to promote participation and discussion of social priorities in the acquisition or extension of new communication technologies. Decisions with respect to the orientation given to research and development should come under closer public scrutiny.
5. In developing countries the promotion of autonomous research and development should be linked to specific projects and programs at the national, regional and inter-regional levels, which are often geared to the satisfaction of basic needs. More funds are necessary to stimulate and support adaptive technological research. This might also help these countries to avoid problems of obsolescence and problems arising from the non-availability of particular types of equipment, related spare parts and components from the advance industrial nations.
6. The concentration of communication s technology in a relatively few developed countries and transnational corporations has lead to a virtual monopoly situations in this field. To counteract these tendencies and international measures are required, among them reform of existing patent laws and conventions, appropriate legislation and international agreements.
Strengthening Cultural Identity
Promoting conditions for the preservation of the cultural identity of every society is necessary to enable it to enjoy a harmonious and creative inter-relationship with other cultures. It is equally necessary to modify situations in many developed and developing countries which suffer from cultural dominance.
We recommend:
7. Establishment of national cultural policies which should foster cultural identity and creativity and involve the media in these tasks. Such policies should also contain guidelines for safeguarding national cultural development while promoting knowledge of other cultures. It is in relation to others that each culture enhances its own identity. (1)
Comment by Mr. S. MacBride: "I wish to add that owing to the cultural importance of spiritual
and religious values and also in order to restore moral values, policy guidelines should take into
account religious beliefs and traditions".
8. Communication and cultural policies should ensure that creative artists and various grassroots groups can make their voices heard through the media. The innovative uses of film, television or radio by people of different cultures should be studied Such experiments constitute a basis for continuing cultural dialogue, which could be furthered by agreements between countries and through international support.
9. Introduction of guidelines with respect to advertising content and the values and attitudes it foster in accordance with national standards and practices. Such guidelines should be consistent with national development policies and efforts to preserve cultural identity. Particular attention should be given to the impact of children and adolescents. In this connection, various mechanisms such as complaint boards or consumer review committees might be established to afford the public the possibility of reacting against advertising which they feel inappropriate.
Reducing the Commercialization of Communication
The social effects of the commercialization of the mass media are a major concern in policy formulation and decision-making by private and public bodies.
We recommend:
10. In expanding communication systems, preference should be given to non-commercial forms of mass communication. Promotion of such types of communication should be integrated with the traditions, culture, development objectives and socio-political system of each country. As in the field of education, public funds might be made available for this purpose.
11. While acknowledging the need of the media for revenues, ways and means should be considered to reduce the negative effects that the influence of market and commercial considerations have in the organization and content of national and international communication flows. (1)
Comment by Mr. E. Abel: "At no time has the commission seen evidence adduced in
support of the notion that market and commercial considerations necessarily exert a
negative effect on communication flows. On the contrary the commission has praised
elsewhere in this report courageous investigative journalism of the sort that can be
sustained only by independent media whose survival depends upon their acceptance in
the marketplace, rather than the favors of political leaders. The commission also is
aware that market mechanisms play an increasingly important role today even in so
called planned economics."
12. That consideration be given to changing existing funding patterns of commercial mass media. In this connection, reviews could be made of the way in which the relative role of advertising volume and costs pricing policies, voluntary contributions, subsidies, taxes, financial incentives and supports could be modified to enhance the social function of mass media and improve their service to the community.
Access to Technical Information
The flow of technical information within nations and across national boundaries is a major resource for development. Access to such information, which countries need for technical decision-making at all levels, is as crucial as access to news sources. This type of information is generally not easily available and is most often concentrated in large techno-structures. Developed countries are not providing adequate information of this type to developing countries.
We recommend:
13. Developing countries should pay particular attention to: (a) the correlation between education, scientific and communication policies, because their practical application frequently overlaps; (b) the creation in each country of one or several centers for the collection and utilization of technical information and data, both from with the country and from abroad; (c) to secure the basic equipment necessary for essential data processing activities; (d) the development of skills and facilities for computer processing and analysis of data obtained from remote sensing.
14. Developed countries should foster exchanges of technical information on the principle that all countries have equal rights to full access to available information. It is increasingly necessary, in order to reduce inequalities in this field, to promote co-operative arrangements for collection, retrieval, processing and diffusion of technological information through various networks, regardless of geographical or institutional frontiers. UNISIST, which provides basic guidelines for voluntary co- operation among and between information systems and services, should further develop its activities.
15. Developing countries should adopt national informatics policies as a matter of priority. These should primarily relate to the establishment of decision-making centers (inter-departmental and inter- disciplinary) which would inter alia (a) assess technological alternatives: (b) centralize purchases; (c)encourage local production of software; (d) promote regional and sub-regional co-operation (in various fields, including education, health and consumer services).
16. At the international level, consideration should be given to action with respect for (a) systematic identification of existing organized data processing infrastructures in various specialized fields; (b) agreement on measures for effective multi-county participation in the programs, planning and administration of existing or developing data infrastructures; (c) analysis of commercial and technical measures likely to improve the use of informatics by developing countries; (d) agreement of international priorities for research and development that is of interest to all countries in the field of informatics.
17. Transnational corporations should supply to the authorities of the countries in which they operate, upon request and on a regular basis as specified by local laws and regulations, all information required for legislative and administrative purposes relevant to their activities and specifically needed to assess the performance of such entities. They should also provide the public, trade unions and other interested sectors of the countries in which they operate with information needed to understand the global structure , activities and policies of the transnational corporation and their significance for the country concerned.
III. Professional integrity and standards
Responsibility of Journalists
For the journalist, freedom and responsibility are indivisible. Freedom without responsibility invites distortion and other abuses. But in the absence of freedom there can be no exercise of responsibility. The concept of freedom with responsibility necessarily includes a concern for professional ethics, demanding an equitable approach to events, situations or processes with due attention to their divers aspects. This is not always the case today.
We recommend:
18. The importance of the journalist's mission in the contemporary would demands steps to enhance his standing in society. In many countries even today, journalists are not regarded as members of an acknowledged profession and they are treated accordingly. To overcome this situation, journalism needs to raise its standards and quality for recognition everywhere as a genuine profession.
19. To be treated as professionals, journalists require broad educational preparation and specific professional training. Programs of instruction need to be developed not only for entry-level recruits, but also for experienced personnel who from time to time would benefit from special seminars and conferences designed to refresh and enrich their qualifications. Basically, programs of instruction and training should be conducted on national and regional levels.
20. Such values as truthfulness, accuracy and respect for human rights are not universally applied at present. Higher professional standards and responsibility cannot be imposed by decree, nor do they depend solely on the goodwill of individual journalists, who are employed by institutions which can improve or handicap their professional performance. The self-respect of journalists, their integrity and inner drive to turn out work of high quality are of paramount importance. It is this level of professional dedication, making for responsibility, that should be fostered by news media and journalists' organizations. In this framework, a distinction may have to be drawn between media institutions, owners and managers on the one hand, and journalists on the other.
21. As in other professions, journalists and media organizations serve the public directly and the public, in turn, is entitled to hold them accountable for their actions. Among the mechanisms devised up to now in various countries for assuring accountability, the Commission sees merit in press or media councils, the institution of the press ombudsman and peer group criticism of the sort practiced by journalism reviews in several countries. In addition, communities served by particular media can accomplish significant reforms through citizen action. Specific forms of community involvement in decision-making will vary, of course, from country to country. Public broadcasting stations, for example can be governed by representative boards drawn from the community. Voluntary measures of this sort can do much to influence media performance. Nevertheless, it appears necessary to develop further effective ways by which the right to assess mass media performance can be exercised by the public.
22. Codes of professional ethics exist in all parts of the world, adopted voluntarily in many countries by professional groups. The adoption of codes of ethics at national and in some cases, at the regional level is desirable, provided that such codes are prepared and adopted by the profession itself -- without governmental interference.
Towards Improved International Reporting
The full and factual presentation of news about one country to others is a continuing problem. The reasons for this are manifold; principal among them are correspondents' working conditions, their skills and attitudes, varying conceptions of news and information values and government viewpoints. Remedies for the situation will require long-term, evolutionary action towards improving the exchange of news around the world.
We recommend:
23. All countries should take steps to assure admittance of foreign correspondents and facilitate their collection and transmission of news. Special obligations in this regard, undertaken by the signatories to the Final Act of the Helsinki conference, should be honored and , indeed liberally applied. Free access to news sources by journalists is an indispensable requirement for accurate, faithful and balanced reporting. This necessarily involves access to unofficial, as well as official sources of information, that is , access to the entire spectrum of opinion within any country. (1)
Comment by Mr. S. Losev: This paragraph doesn't correspond to the Helsinki Final Act (see section 2-- information, point (c)), contradicts the interests of developing
nations, and therefore is completely unacceptable and I object to it being included. I
suggest replacing this recommendation with the following text: "all countries should
take appropriate measures to improve the conditions for foreign correspondents to carry
out their professional activities in the host countries in accordance with the provisions
of the Helsinki Final Act and with due respect to the national sovereignty and the
national identity of the host country".
24. Conventional standards of news selection and reporting, and many accepted news values, need to be reassessed if readers and listeners around the world are to receive a more faithful and comprehensive account of events, movements and trends in both developing and developed countries. The inescapable need to interpret unfamiliar situations in terms that will be understood by a distant audience should not blind reporters or editors to the hazards of narrow ethnocentric thinking. The first step towards overcoming this bias is to acknowledge that it colors the thinking of virtually all human beings, journalists included, for the most part without deliberate intent. The act of selecting certain news items for publication while rejecting others, produces in the minds of the audience a picture of the world that may well be incomplete or distorted. Higher professional standards are needed for journalists to be able to illuminate the divers cultures and beliefs of the modern world, without their presuming to judge the ultimate validity of any foreign nation's experience and traditions.
25. To this end, reporters being assigned to foreign posts should have the benefit of language training and acquaintance with the history, institutions, politics, economics and cultural environment of the country or region in which they will by serving.
26. The press and broadcasters in the industrialized world should allot more space and time to reporting events in and background material about foreign countries in general and news from the developing world in particular. Also, the media in developed countries -- especially the "gatekeepers", editors and producers of print and broadcasting media who select the news items to be published or broadcast -- should become more familiar with the cultures and conditions in developing countries. Although the present imbalance in news flow calls for strengthening capacities in developing countries, the media of the industrialized countries have their contribution to make towards the correction of these inequalities.
27. To offset the negative effects of inaccurate of malicious reporting of international news, the right of reply and correction should be further considered. While these concepts are recognized in many countries, their nature and scope vary so widely that it would be neither expedient nor realistic to propose the adoption of any international regulations for their purpose. False or distorted news accounts can be harmful, but the voluntary publication of corrections or replies is preferable to international normative action. Since the manner in which the right of reply and correction as applied in different countries varies significantly, it is further suggested that: (a) the exercise of the international right of reply and correction be considered for application on a voluntary basis in each country according to its journalistic practices and national; ;legal; framework' (b) the United Nations, in consultation with all concerned bodies, explore the conditions under which this right could be perfected at the international level, taking into account the cumbersome operation of the 1952 Convention on the International Right of Correction; (c) media institutions with an international reach define on a voluntary basis internal standards for the exercise of this right and make them publicly available.
28. Intelligence services of many nations have at one time or other recruited journalists to commit espionage under cover of their professional duties. This practice must be condemned. It undermines the integrity of the profession and in some circumstances, can expose other journalists to unjustified suspicion or physical threat. The Commission urges journalists and their employers to be on guard against possible attempts of this kind. We also urge governments to refrain from using journalists for purposes of espionage.
Protection of Journalists
Daily reports from around the world attest to dangers that journalists are subject to in the exercise of their profession: harassment , threats, imprisonment, physical violence, assassination. Continual vigilance is required to focus the world's attention on such assaults on human rights.
We recommend:
29. The professional independence and integrity of all those involved in the collection and dissemination of news , information and views to the public should be safeguarded. However, the Commission does not propose special privileges to protect journalists in the performance of their duties, although journalism is often a dangerous profession. Far from constituting a special category, journalists are citizens of their respective countries, entitled to the same range of human rights as other citizens. One exception is provided in the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, which applies only to journalists on perilous missions, such as in areas of armed conflict. To propose additional measures would invite the dangers entailed in a licensing system since it would require some body to stipulate who should be entitled to claim such protection. Journalists will be fully protected only when everyone's human rights are guaranteed. (1)
30. That Unesco should convene a series of round tables at which journalists, media executives, researchers and jurists can periodically review problems related to the protection of journalists and propose additional appropriate measures to this end. (2)
Comment by Mr.S. MacBride: "I consider this paragraph quite inadequate to deal
with what is a serious position. Because of the importance of the role of journalists
and others who provide or control the flow of news to the media, I urge that they should
be granted a special status and protection. I also urge that provisions should be made
to enable a journalist to appeal against a refusal of reasonable facilities. My views on
these issues are embodied in a paper entitled The Protection of Journalists (CIC
Document No.90) which I submitted to the Commission; I refer in particular to
paragraphs 1-17 and 35-53 of this paper."
Comment by Mr. S. MacBride: "I urge that such a Round Table be convened annually
for a period of five years; I refer to paragraphs 50-57 of my paper on The Protection of
Journalists (CIC Document No.90)."
IV. Democratization of communication
Human Rights
Freedom of speech, of the press, of information and of assembly are vital for the realization of human rights. Extension of these communication freedoms to a broader individual and collective right to communicate is an evolving principle in the democratization process. Among the human rights to be emphasized are those of equality for women and between races. Defense of all human rights is one of the media's most vital tasks;
We recommend:
31. All those working in the mass media should contribute to the fulfillment of human rights, both individual and collective, in the spirit of the Unesco Declaration on the Mass Media and the Helsinki Final Act, and the International Bill of Human Rights. The contribution of the media in this regard is not only to foster these principles, but also to expose all infringements, wherever they occur, and to support those whose rights have been neglected or violated. Professional associations and public opinion should support journalists subject to pressure or who suffer adverse consequences from their dedication to the defense of human rights.
32. The media should contribute to promoting the just cause of peoples struggling for freedom and independence and their right to live in peace and equality without foreign interference. This is especially important for all oppressed peoples who while struggling against colonialism, religious and racial discrimination, are deprived of any opportunity to make their voices heard within their own countries.
33. Communication needs in a democratic society should be met by the extension of specific rights such as the right to be informed, the right to inform, the right to privacy, the right to participate in public communication -- all elements of a new concept the right to communicate. In developing what might be called a new era of social rights, we suggest all the implications of the right to communicate be further explored.
Removal of Obstacles
Communication, with its immense possibilities for influencing the minds and behavior of people, can be a powerful means of promoting democratization of society and of widening public participation in the decision making process. This depends on the structures and practices of the media and their management and to what extent they facilitate broader access and open the communication process to a free interchange of ideas, information and experience among equals, without dominance or discrimination.
We recommend:
34. All countries adopt measures to enlarge sources of information needed by citizens in their everyday life. A careful review of existing laws and regulations should be undertaken with the aim of reducing limitations , secrecy provisions and other constraints in information practices.
35. Censorship or arbitrary control of information should be abolished. (1) In areas where reasonable restrictions may be considered necessary, these should be provided for by law, subject to judicial review and in line with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants relating to human rights, and in other instruments adopted by the community of nations. (2)
36. Special attention should be devoted to obstacles and restrictions which derive from the concentration of media ownership, public or private, from commercial influences on the press and broadcasting, or from private or governmental advertising. The problem of financial conditions under which the media operate should be critically reviewed, and measures elaborated to strengthen editorial independence.
37. Effective legal measures should be designed to: (a) limit the process of concentration and monopolization; (b) circumscribe the action of transnationals by requiring them to comply with specific criteria and conditions defined by national legislation and development policies; (c) reverse trends to reduce the number of decision-makers at a time when the media's public is growing larger and the impact of communication is increasing; (d) reduce the influence of advertising upon editorial and policy and broadcast programming; (e) seek and improve models which would ensure greater independence and autonomy of the media concerning their management and editorial policy, whether these media are under private public or government ownership. (3)
Comment by Mr.S. Losev: "This whole problem of censorship or arbitrary control of
information is within the national legislation of each country and is to be solved within
the national, legal framework taking due consideration of the national interests of each
country."
Comment by Mr. S. MacBride: "I also wish to draw attention to the provisions of Article 10
of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights which I consider as
wholly inadequate. I urge that Articles 13 and 14 of the Inter American Convention on
Human Rights (1979) are much more comprehensive and effective than the equivalent
provisions of the European Convention. The matter is discussed in paragraphs 26-29
of my paper on the Protection of Journalists (CIC Document No.90)."
Comment by Mr. E. Abel: "Regarding (a) and (c) , anti-monopoly legislation, whether
more or less effective is relevant only in countries where a decree of competition can be
said to exist. It is a travesty to speak of measures against concentrations and
monopolization in countries where the media are themselves established as state
monopolies, or operate as an arm of the only authorized political party. Regarding (b)
transnational corporations are expected to comply with the laws of the countries in
which they do business. Regarding (d) where it can be shown to exist, the influence of
advertisers upon editorial content or broadcast programming would warrant careful
study. But a sweeping demand that such influence be reduced without pausing to
examine or attempting to measure that influence in particular circumstances, is a
symptom of ideological prejudice."
Diversity and Choice
Diversity and choice in the content of communication are a pre condition for democratic participation. Every individual and particular groups should be able to form judgments on the basis of a full range of information and a variety of messages and opinions and have the opportunity to share these ideas with others. The development of decentralized and diversified media should provide larger opportunities for a real direct involvement of the people in communication processes.
We recommend:
38. The building of infrastructures and the adoption of particular technologies should be carefully matched to the need for more abundant information to a broader public from a plurality of sources
39. Attention should be paid to the communication needs of women. They should be assure adequate access to communication means and that images of them and of their activities are not distorted by the media or in advertising.
40. The concerns of children and youth, national, ethnic, religious, linguistic minorities, people living in remote areas and the aged and handicapped also deserve particular consideration. The constitute large and sensitive segments of society and have special communication needs.
Integration and Participation
To be able to communicate in contemporary society, people must dispose of appropriate communication tools. New technologies offer them many devices for individualized information and entertainment, but often fail to provide appropriate tools for communication within their community or social cultural group. Hence, alternative means of communication are often required.
We recommend:
41. Much more attention be devoted to use of the media in living and working environments. Instead of isolating men and women, the media should help integrate them into the community.
42. Readers, listeners and viewers have generally been treated as passive receivers of information. Those in charge of the media should encourage their audiences to play a more active role in communication by allocating more newspaper space, or broadcasting time, for the views of individual members of the public or organized social groups.
43. The creation of appropriate communication facilities at all levels, leading towards new forms of public involvement in the management of the media and new modalities for their funding.
44. Communication policy-makers should give far greater importance to devising ways whereby the management of the media could be democratized -- while respecting national customs and characteristics -- by associating the following categories: (a) journalists and professional communicators; (b) creative artists; (c) technicians; (d) media owners and managers; (e) representatives of the public. Such democratization of the media needs the full support and understanding of all those working in them and this process should lead to their having a more active role in editorial policy and management.
V. Fostering international co-operation
Partners for Development
Inequalities in communication facilities, which exist everywhere, are due to economic discrepancies or to political and economic design, still others to cultural imposition or neglect. But whatever the source or reason for them, gross inequalities should no longer be countenanced. The very notion of a new world information and communication order presupposes fostering international co-operation, which includes two main areas: The international dimensions of communication are today of such importance that it has become crucial to develop co-operation on a world-wide scale. It is for the international community to take the appropriate steps to replace dependence, dominance and inequality by more fruitful and more open relations of inter-dependence, and complementarity, based on mutual interest and the equal dignity of nations and peoples. Such co-operation requires a major international commitment to redress the present situation. This clear commitment is a need not only for developing countries but also for the international community as a whole . The tensions and disruptions that will come from lack of action are far greater than the problems posed by necessary changes.
We recommend:
66. The progressive implementation of national and international measures that will foster the setting up of a new world information and communication order. The proposals contained in this report can serve as a contribution to develop the varied actions necessary to move in that direction.
67. International co-operation for the development of communications be given equal priority with and within sectors (e.g. health , agriculture, industry, science, education, etc.) as information is a basic resource for individual and collective advancement and for all-round development. This may be achieved by utilizing funds provided through bilateral government agreements and from international and regional organizations, which should plan a considerable increase in their allocations for communication, infrastructures, equipment and program development. Care should be taken that assistance is compatible with developing countries' priorities. Consideration should also be given to provision of assistance on a program rather than on a strict project basis.
68. The close relationship between the establishment of a new international economic order and the new world information and communication order should be carefully considered by the technical bodies dealing with these issues. Concrete plans of action linking both processes should be implemented within the United Nations system. The United Nations, in approving the international development strategy should consider the communications sector as an integral element of it and not merely as an instrument of public information.
Strengthening Collective Self-reliance
Developing countries have a primary responsibility for undertaking necessary changes to overcome their dependence in the field of communications. The actions needed begin at the national level, but must be complemented by forceful and decisive agreements at the bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and inter- regional levels. Collective self-reliance is the cornerstone of a new world information and communication order.
We recommend:
69. The communication dimension should be incorporated into existing programs and agreements for economic co-operation between developing countries.
70. Joint activities in the field of communication, which are under way between developing countries should be developed further in the light of the overall analysis and recommendations of this Report. In particular, attention should be given to co-operation among national news agencies, to the further development of the News Agencies Pool and broadcasting organizations of the non-aligned countries as well as to the general exchange on a regular basis of radio, TV programs and films.
71. With respect to co-operation in the field of technical information, the establishment of regional and sub-regional data banks and information processing centers and specialized documentation centers should be given a high priority. They should be conceived and organized, both in terms of software and management , according to the particular needs of co-operating countries.. Choices of technology and selection of foreign enterprises should be made so as not to increase dependence in this field.
72. Mechanisms for sharing information of a non-strategic nature could be established particularly in economic matters. Arrangements of this nature could be of value din areas such as multilateral trade negotiations, dealing with transnational corporations and banks, economic forecasting, and medium and long-term planning and other similar fields.
73. Particular efforts should be undertaken to ensure that news about other developing countries within or outside their region receive more attention and space in the media. Special projects could be developed to ensure a steady flow of attractive and interesting material inspired by news values which meet developing countries' information needs.
74. Measures to promote links and agreements between professional organizations and communication researchers of different countries should be fostered. It is necessary to develop networks of institutions and people working in the field of communication in order to share and exchange experiences and implement joint projects of common interest with concrete operational contents.
International Mechanisms
Co-operation for the development of communications is a global concern and therefore of importance to international organizations, where all Member states can fully debate the issues involved and decide upon multi-national action. Governments should therefore attentively review the structures and programs of international agencies in the communication fields and point to changes required to meet evolving needs.
We recommend:
75. The Member States of Unesco should increase their support to the Organization's program in this area. Consideration should be given to organizing a distinct communication sector, not simply in order to underline its importance, but to emphasize that its activities are inter-related with the other major components of Unesco's work -- education, science and culture . (1) In its communications activities, Unesco should concentrate on priority areas. Among these are assistance to national policy formulation and planning, technical development, organizing professional meetings and exchanges, promotion and co- ordination of research, and elaboration of international norms.
76. Better co-ordination of the various communication activities within Unesco and those throughout the United Nations System. A thorough inventory and assessment of all communications development and related programs of the various agencies should be undertaken as a basis for designing appropriate mechanisms to carry out the necessary consultation, co-operation and co-ordination.
77. It would be desirable for the United Nations family to be equipped with a more effective information system, including a broadcast capability of its own and possibly access to a satellite system. That would enable the United Nations to follow more closely would affairs and transmit its message more effectively to all the peoples of the earth. Although such a proposal would require heavy investment and raise some complex issues, a feasibility study should be undertaken so that a carefully designed project could be prepared for deliberation and decision. (2)(3).
(1)Comment by Mr. M. Lubis: "I strongly believe that the present set-up in Unesco (Sector of Culture and Communication) is adequate to deal with problems of Communication."
(2)Comment by Mr. M. Lubis: "I am of the opinion that the present communication potential of the UN system has not been effectively and efficiently used and managed. And I cannot foresee for a long time to come that the UN system will be able to speak with one voice on the really relevant issues of the world, disarmament, peace, freedom , human rights. However, I support the suggestion about a feasibility study, contained in the same paragraph."
(3)Comment by Mr. S. MacBride: "I would point out that the phenomenal growth of international broadcasting highlights the absence of a UN International Broadcasting System. Some thirty countries broadcast a total of 12,000 hours per week in one hundred different languages. I urge that the UN should establish a broadcasting system of its own that would broadcast 24 hours around the clock in not less than 30 different languages. See my paper on The Protection of Journalists (CIC Document No.90, paragraph 46) and the paper on International Broadcasting (CIC Document No.60)."
78. Consideration might be given to establishing within the framework of Unesco as International Centre for the Study and Planning of information and Communication. Its main tasks would be to: (a)promote the development of national communication systems in developing countries and balance and reciprocity in international information flows; (b) mobilize resources required for that purpose and manage the funds put at its disposal; (c) assure co-ordination among parties interested in communication development and involved in various co-operation programs and evaluate results of bilateral and multilateral activities in this field; (d) organize round tables, seminars, and conferences for the training of communication planners , researchers and journalists, particularly those specializing in international problems; and (e) keep under review communications technology transfers between developed and developing countries so that they are carried out in the most suitable conditions. The Centre may be guided by a tripartite co- ordinating council composed of representatives of developing and developed countries and of interested international organizations. We suggest Unesco should undertake further study of this proposal for consideration at the 1980 session of the General Conference.(4)
(4)Comment by Ms. B. Zimmerman: "Although I agree that a co-ordinating body in the field of communication development could serve a useful purpose. I cannot support this precise recommendation. All members of the Commission did not have the opportunity to discuss thoroughly the advantages and disadvantages of various objectives and structures for such a co-ordinating body. As a Unesco Intergovernmental Conference is to be held in 1980 to cover that topic. I feel the Commission should welcome the careful study that the Unesco Conference is in a position to give the matter, rather than offering any recommendation at this time."
Comment by Mr. E. Abel: "This proposal is premature, unnecessary and unwise. The design of an appropriate mechanism for promoting and co-ordinating communications development demands more time and resources than this Commission possesses. Essentially the same proposal here advanced was one of two submitted to a Unesco experts meeting in November; neither one was endorsed. The question is on the agenda for an intergovernmental meeting at Unesco in April. The UN General Assembly has now taken a strong interest in the matter and has requested the Secretary- General to intervene. As it stands, this proposal can only deter the necessary co-operation of both the competent UN bodies and the developed nations whose co-operation is indispensable to further progress."
Comment by Mr. S. MacBride: "I suggest that if any steps are taken in this discretion prior consultation and accord should be reached with journalists' organizations and NGOs involved in the mass media."
Towards International Understanding
The strengthening of peace , international security and co-operation and the lessening of international security and co-operation and the lessening of international tensions are the common concern of all nations. The mass media can make a substantial contribution towards achieving these goals. The special session of the United Nations General Assembly on disarmament called for increased efforts by the mass media to mobilize public opinion in favor of disarmament and of ending the arms race. This Declaration together with the Unesco Declaration on fundamental principles concerning the contribution of the mass media to strengthening peace and international understanding, to the promotion of human rights and to countering racialism, apartheid and incitement to war should be the foundation of new communication policies to foster international understanding. A new world information and communication order requires and must become the instrument for peaceful co-operation between nations..
We recommend:
79. National communication policies should be consistent with adopted international communication principles and should seek to create a climate of mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence among nations. Countries should also encourage their broadcast and other means of international communication to make the fullest contribution towards peace and international co-operation and to refrain from advocating national, racial or religious hatred and incitement to discrimination, hostility, violence or war.
80. Due attention should be paid to the problems of peace and disarmament, human rights, development and the creation of a new communication order. Mass media both printed and audiovisual, should be encouraged to publicize significant documents of the United Nations, of Unesco, of the world peace movements, and of various other international and national organizations devoted to peace and disarmament. The curricula of schools of journalism should include study of these international problems and the views expressed on them within the United Nations.
81. All forms of co-operation among the media, the professionals and their associations, which contribute to the better knowledge of other nations and cultures, should be encouraged and promoted.
82. Reporting on international events or developments in individual countries in situations of crisis and tension requires extreme care and responsibility. In such situations in the media often constitute one of the few, if not the sole , links between combatants or hostile groups. This clearly casts on them a special role which they should seek to discharge with objectivity and sensitivity.
The recommendations and suggestions contained in our Report do not presume to cover all topics and issues calling for reflection and action. Nevertheless, they indicate the importance and scale of the tasks which face every country in the field of information and communication, as well as their international dimensions which pose a formidable challenge to the community of nations.
Our study indicates clearly the direction in which the world must move to attain a new information and communication order -- essentially a series of new relationships arising from the advances promised by new communication technologies which should enable all peoples to benefit. The awareness already created on certain issues, such as global imbalances in information flows, suggests that
a process of change has resulted and is under way. The power and promise of ever-new communication technologies and systems are, however, such as to demand deliberate measures to ensure that existing communication disparities do not widen. The objective should be to ensure that men and women are enabled to lead richer and more satisfying lives.
B. Issues requiring further study
We have suggested some actions which may help lead towards a new world information and communication order. Some of them are for immediate undertaking; others will take more time to prepare and implement. The important thing is to start moving towards a change in the present situation.
However,, there are other issues that require examination, but the International Commission lacked time or sufficient data or expertise to deal with them. The proposals listed below have not been approved by the Commission; several were not , in fact, even discussed. Members felt free, nevertheless, to submit individual or group proposals which, in their judgment, called for study in the future. While these suggestions have not been endorsed by the Commission , they may still indicate some preliminary ideas about issues to be pursued if and when they arouse interest.
I. Increased Interdependence
1. Studies are necessary to define more precisely the interdependence of interests of rich and poor countries, as well as of countries belonging to different socio-political systems. Research undertaken to date has not adequately explored this community of interests; more substantial findings are desirable as background for eventual future measures leading to wider co-operation. Similar studies are necessary to prepare more diversified co-operative efforts among developing countries themselves.
2. For the same purpose, indicators should be worked out to facilitate comparison of the results obtained through various media in different countries.
3. As international co-operation depends on mutual understanding, language barriers are a continuing problem. There is a certain imbalance in the use of international languages and studies might be undertaken with a view to improving the situation.
II. Improved Co-ordination
4. A new information and communication order cannot be developed on the basis of sporadic projects and initiatives, and without a solid research base. Feasibility studies are needed to ensure better co- ordination of activities in many fields, particularly at an initial stage, involving (a) news collection and supply; (b) data banks; (c) broadcast program banks for exchange purposes; (d) exchange of data gathered by remote sensing.
III. International Standards and Instruments
5. The texts of international instruments (of the League of Nations, the United Nations and UN Agencies , intergovernmental organizations, etc.) as well as draft texts which have long run up against political barriers should be reviewed in order to promote further international legislation in this area, since only by extending its scope will it be possible to overcome certain difficulties and to regulate certain aspects of the new world communication order.
6. Studies should be undertaken to identify, if possible, principles generally recognized by the profession of journalism and which take into account the public interest. This could also encompass further consideration, by journalists' organizations themselves, of the concept of an international code of ethics. Some fundamental elements for this code might be found in the Unesco Declaration on the Mass Media as well as in provisions common to the majority of existing national and regional codes.
7. Studies should be undertaken on the social, economic and cultural effects of advertising to identify problems and to suggest solutions, at the national and international levels, possibly including study of the practicability of an international advertising code, which could have as its basis the preservation of cultural identity and protection of moral values.
IV. Collection and Dissemination of News
8. The scope of the Round Tables, mentioned in Recommendation 51 above, could be enlarged, after appropriate studies, to include other major problems related to the collection and dissemination of international news, particularly professional, ethical and juridical aspects.
V. Protection of Journalists
9. Further studies should be made for the safeguarding of journalists in the exercise of their profession. The possibility might be explored of setting up some mechanism whereby when a journalist is either refused or deprived of his identity card he would have a right of appeal to a professional body, ideally with adequate judicial authority to rectify the position. Such studies should also look into the possibility of the creation of an international body to which a further appeal could be made in the final resort.
VI. Greater Attention to Neglected Areas
10. The concentration of the media in the developed regions, and the control of or access to them enjoyed by the affluent categories of the population, should be corrected by giving particular attention to the needs of the less developed countries and those of rural areas. Studies should be undertaken to evaluate these needs, to determine priorities and to measure the likely rate of return of future investments. Considerations might be given for example to (a) the feasibility of generalizing sound and television broadcasting and expanding telephone networks in rural areas; (b) the efficacy of possible government measures to expand distribution of receiving sets (e.g. through special facilities, tax exemptions, low- interest loans, subsidies, etc.) and (c) technological possibilities and innovations (e.g. the production of high-power generators for areas without electricity etc.)
VII. More Extensive Financial Resources
11. The scarcity of available resources for communication development, both at national and international levels, highlights the need for further studies in three different areas: (a) identification of country priorities for national and international financing; (b) evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of existing investments: (c) the search for new financial resources.
12. As far as new resources are concerned, several possibilities might be explored; (a) marshaling of resources deriving from surplus profits on raw materials; (b) establishment of an international duty (1) on the use of electromagnetic spectrum and geostationary orbit space for the benefit of developing countries; (c) levying of an international duty (2) on the profits of transnational corporations producing transmission facilities and equipment for the benefit of developing countries and for the partial financing of the cost of using international communication facilities (cable, telecommunication networks , satellites, etc.).
(1) Comment by Mr S. Losev: "The idea of an international tax for whatever good reasons or causes does not seem just or justifiable to me."
(2) Comment by Mr S. MacBride and Ms. B. Zimmerman: "The examples cited, particularly those proposing international duties, seem to have been insufficiently considered in terms of their validity or practicability in the international sphere, and indicate the need for further careful study in this area. "
Responding to its wide mandate, the Commission has sought to identify major problems and trends and has recommended certain lines of action. Apart from recommendations coming from the Commission as a whole, some of its members made additional suggestions, considering that the interest for new issues will continue to grow.
It is important to realize that the new order we seek is not only a goal but a stage in a journey. It is a continuing quest for ever more free, more equal, more just relations within all societies and among all nations and peoples. This Report represents what we believe we have learned. And this, above all is what we wish to communicate.
Paris, December 1980
