'Journalism in Times of Crisis' Conference
The Albanian capital will host on October 11-12 the 8th Media Conference in Southeast Europe on "Journalism in times of crisis", Albanian Daily News has learned. This important event, which will be accompanied by other activities, thus creating a Media Week in Tirana, is organized by the OSCE Presence in Tirana and the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
The conference will be opened by the OSCE RFoM, Teresa Ribeiro, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, and the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Vincenzo Del Monaco. Julie Posetti, Director General of Research at the International Center for Journalists, will deliver the keynote address.
This year’s conference serves as a call to affirm the importance of journalism as an essential public good and pillar of democratic societies. It aims to foster regional co-operation to address media freedom challenges by exploring opportunities for furthering the media environment in the region, within the context of the present health crisis.
The SEEMC will be comprised of five sessions, with the first one focusing on the issue of misinformation and its causes, the respective risk and the opposing role that journalism can play.
The second session addresses best practices and efforts to alleviate the aggravated situation of journalists in the region, including the obstacles they face in conducting journalistic activities and enforcing the right to expression. The third session will address the inclusion and equal representation of women in the media sector - an issue that has continuously concerned the OSCE Presence in Albania - and will serve as a platform for discussing the professional challenges of the time and the particular gender risks faced by journalists in the South East Europe region. Platform’s main topic is precisely, “Addressing attempts to silence women journalists onlineâ€.
The legal environment of the region and its consequences for free speech and media freedom, as well as future actions to counter the harmful practice of the so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, will form the axis of the fourth session.
Finally, the fifth session will provide an opportunity for young journalists in the region to present the framework of the document on the expression of attitude for youth and the media, developed during this year's Youth Camp "Attention to Youth and the Media" as part of "Youth Trail: Supporting OSCE Values in the Western Balkans".
Due to the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the activity will take place in hybrid format, with the participation of about 120 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, as well as Montenegro, government representatives, media, journalists' associations, civil society and academia. The languages of the conference proceedings will be English, Albanian, Serbian and Macedonian and there will be simultaneous translation.
The various events and activities will continue till Thursday, October 14, with an evaluation and closing session, prior to guests’ departure from Tirana.
Protection of Minors in the Audiovisual Media
Meanwhile, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro in Tirana will also attend a conference that will take place on October 13 in Tirana, organized by AMA, country’s Audiovisual Media Authority. The main focus will be sharing and exchanging experiences with local and international experts and homologous institutions regarding the protection of children, namely preventing minors from watching or listening to programs that are likely to impair their mental, morl or physical development.