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Home arrow newsitems arrow IFJ v.President Azhgikhina to EF: Business model Media against Journalism, specialy in Terror Crisis

IFJ v.President Azhgikhina to EF: Business model Media against Journalism, specialy in Terror Crisis

Written by ACM
Thursday, 19 November 2015
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*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Experienced International Federation of Journalists' vice-President and Russian Union of Journalists' Executive Secretary, Nadezda Azhgikhina, a Key-note Speaker in CoE's 2015 World Forum of Democracy's Plenary Session on "Media Responsiblity in "the Age of Terror"", earlier Today, stressed in Reply to "EuroFora"s Questions that Busines-model based Media are Opposed to real Journalism, and these two Different realities become even More Incompatible between them, after Terrorist Attacks as those recently in Paris+.

 

coe_2015_wfd_debate_on_media__terror_crisis_400 


    "EuroFora" observed that Azhgikhina had just evoked the idea that real "Journalism's Deontology is sometimes Contradictory to the Business-model Media", and invited her to further Clarify that point :


    - "Of course !", reacted spontaneously IFJ's experienced vice-President on that "Contradiction", Topical issue.


    - Indeed, "the Main Idea is that Media are Media, but Journalism is competely an Other matter.


    - I.e. "Media are Business, and News for them is just a Platform", Azhgiknia Criticaly but Realisticaly observed.


    -  While, on the Contrary, "Journalism is a Differend kind of Activities : Journalism has a <<Public Good>> value", she underlined, (obviously pointing at the Socio-Political meaning of that term, and not just to its Economic synonumous).


    - "Because it (real Journalism) provides Infos and Ideas to the Society, It provides Information Important for People !", she rightfuly stressed, on a Key-point very Close also to ECHR's well established Case-Law about Freedom of Expression, (Art. 10 of ECoHR), which is the only Legal Protection that EuroJudges offer to Real Journalists, in situations of Tension and Pressure against Liberty.


    - In other words, it (real Journalism) is about "Significant Social Information", including f.ex. Original/Critical News on "Human Rights", etc, while, on the contrary, "Media are simply about Disseminating Information, which is something Differend", she Distinguished anew.


    + Moreover, "Journalism follows also well Established ...Ethical Standards", "that's why it's Important to Develop (real) Journalists' Community, and those Ethical Standards, as a Basis for Social Relations" in this field, President Azhgikhina added, close to an Idea that "EuroFora"s co-Founder had supported at the "Assises of Journalism" in Strasbourg as early as already since 2009-2010, etc, and discussed with World Famous long-time former IFJ's Secretary General, and currently Director of Ethical News Network, Aidan White, who has recently focused on Developing a landmark work about almost Identifying real Journalism with the Respect of Press Deontology.


    Indeed, Azhgikhina, who is also responsible for all International relations and activities of the Russian Union of Journalists, not only at the IFJ, but also in UNESCO, OSCE, UN Women, UNFPA, and other Global Organizations , etc,  told "EuroFora" that she personaly "knows(s) very well Aidan White", who has recently Published at CoE's latest Book on "Journalism at Risk", (ed. October 2015), a landmark and quite comprehensive Study with a very Interesting and Pioneer Work on such Topical Issues and concrete suggestions, (See, f.ex., "EuroFora"s analysis of that Important White's Article at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html )


     - In fact, Real Journalism mus be Clearly Distinguished and Never Confused with So called "Professional Media", she further Explained, reacting to a relevant "EuroFora"s Question on whether Journalists should be obliged to be submited to Business Media, or not :


    - "No, No, No !", she Vigorously Denied on that Controversial -but Key in real practice- point : - "It's Differend". F.ex., "Some (Business-like) Media would like to promote either Propaganda, or Sensational News, etc., because they are "No 1" generators of Profit (Money), and, recently, even some Media who wanted (in the Past) to present themselves as "Quality Media", i.e. following those High Standards (Comp. Supra), they have now Shifted to much More <<Lucrative>> staff", she Regretted


    - "That's the (main) Problem". And, particularly when People are facing "Terrorism", as now even inside Europe, "this (Business-model based Media's Profit aim) is Dangerous !", President Azhgikhina Warned, in line with CoE's main Debate (Comp. Supra)


    Therefore, Contrary to some old-fashioned, narrow minded Petty Bureaucrats, (often with a Hidden Political Discrimination Agenda and/or Ignorance), who scandalously persist, even Today, to Subordinate the very Definition of "Journalism" with .. a Quantity of Money Paid by a so-called "Business"-model based Media, are not only Violating Freedom of Expression, according to ECHR's Case-Law, (and IACHR's, which Declared illegal f.ex. an attempt to subordinate Journalist Status to an Obligation for a Majority of Revenues from such "Media Business", that was Unanimously Condemned as Contrary to the Convention on Human Rights. See the 2nd Conclusion of IACHR's Historic Decision cited at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html ),

but even Worse, particualrly Nowadays, Playing with Fire and EnDangering Modern Society when it faces Big Challenges against Democracy and/or by Terrorist Attacks and Threats.


    - "It's Important to Focus on the Substance of the Issue", IFJ's vice-President stressed in Reply to an "EuroFora"s relevant Question.


    - " Because", indeed, nowadays, "Many People work Not for Traditional Media, but for New Media, and some of them are Serious and Correct", as she noted.


    - "However", on the Contrary, "Most Social Media and Bloggers are Far Away from Them".


    - So that, in general, Today, "this is a Big Issue", Nadezda Azhgikhina underlined in Conclusion, apparently adopting a Similar, in Principle Open but Careful stance to the Question raised by "EuroFora", as also CoE's Director on Democratic Governance, Claudia Luciani, recently did wih us at CoE's Press Conference on this 2015 CoE's "World Forum on Democracy", (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeofficialonrenewalofjournalismprotectionandwdf.html).

coe_pressroom_eurofora_desk__ifj_vpresident_400


    - In this regard, during CoE's 2015 World Democracy Forum's Plenary Debate (Comp. Supra), she had acknowledged the Fact that the Business-based Old Model of Traditional Media was recently provoking growing Problems to the Detriment of Real Journalism, and even Dangerous during Crisis' times, Launching a Call to Search to Find any Other, New, Adequate and Better ways of making Materialy possible real Journalists' work, including, f.ex. Public "Funding", (at least Partly, but on the Basis of Objective Criteria), and/or any other appropriate Economic Solution might Fit.


    + Because, in fact,  what Counts most, as a critical Young Lady from Latin America, participant at CoE's 2015 "World Democracy Forum", put it in a subsequent Debate with CoE Parliamentary Assembly President Anne Brasseur, and former Prime Ministers of Belgium and Romania, Yves Leterme (currently Secretary General of "International Idea" Foundation), and Petre Roman, respectively : - "People Wish to Avoid having such kind of (traditional Establishment's) Media which All Publish only what they have been told to do from "Above" (PTB)...


----------------------------------------

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    + Meanwhile, at another Interesting (even if partly Symbolic) parallel Development, Nadezda, who is also Russian Coordinator of the Dialogue between Russian and Ukranian professional Journalists Organizations on 2014-2015, as "EuroFora" witnessed on the spot, was surrounded by a Group of participants to CoE's 2015 "WFD" from Ukraine and Russia, including another well known to Strasbourg PanEuropean personality as former CLRAE Regions' Chamber President, Nataliya Romanova, apparently in Deep Topical Discussions with several Young Russian representatives including on "Donetsk/Luhansk" Autonomist areas, currently under Minsk Agreement's Peace Process, and other "Hot" Issues, (Comp. f.ex. for earlier Romanova statements to "EuroFora" at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/clraepresidentonmayorsfreedomofconscience.html ).

 

(../..)
 
 
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("DraftNews", as already send to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors,, earlier. A more accurate, Full Final Version might be Published asap).
 
 
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 politkovskaya_gongadze_adali_400

Hu Jia's prize brings SAKHAROV's wife to "EuroFora" on murders of Journalists Politkofskaya, Gongadze and Adali :

- Elena Bonner : "All Journalists' murders must be fully investigated", without Double Standards.                                                                                    

During a special Mega-Event to celebrate 20 Years of SAKHAROV Prize for "Freedom of Thought", attributed in 2008 by EU Parliament to jailed Chinese Cyber-Dissident Hu JIA, the move was reinforced by strongly criticizing the persisting impunity in three cases of Journalists' Murders, such as POLITKOVSKAYA in Russia, GONGADZE in Ukraine, and ADALI in Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.

Any bureaucratic doubt about whether Cyber-dissidents like Hu JIA might have, or not, a right to be protected as all Journalists must be, particularly when they take risks to search, find and publish original and critical News on issues of general interest to the society, could not resist to the emotion provoked by the message of his Wife, Zeng JINYAN spectacularly transmitted at a big screen in EU Parliament's hemicycle :

- "The most important and most interesting thing he did was to ... say the Truth :.. to write about the phenomena he observed... He never stopped Publishing.. on websites, so that the Public could learn about the reality .. and understand it.  In my view, this has been his greatest contribution", stressed the young wife of the jailed man, eager to cite also the cases of other critical journalists who faced various kinds of "harassment".

 - "Welcoming all those who have suffered for defending Human Rights", EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING, who had invited to Strasbourg all former Sakharov prize-winners from various Countries throughout the World, said that "China needs Europe, and Europe needs China : A great nation" with which "we want to have a good relationship", "association and ..friendship". "But we are never going to stop our fight for Human Rights, and No Government can expect this from us".

    - "It's impossible  to achieve goals of Peace, if Human Rights are left out. In fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.

    It's in this spirit that MEPs adopted, on Thursday, a Resolution denouncing that "the criminal
investigation and trial following the murder of (a) Journalist ...raises serious concerns with regard to transparency and respect for the rule of law", when a "brutal killing has not yet been fully investigated and solved in a satisfactory way".

    The text refered to dissident Journalist "Anna POLITOVSKAYA", a critic of Tchechen conflict, killed some years ago in Moscow, where Russian Authorities have found, arrested and are currently judging two executants, while also searching to arrest also a 3rd one, allegedly escaped in Belgium. But they have not yet found the instigators.

     Similar texts were adopted recently also on dissident Ukranian Journalist Georgiy GONGADZE's murder, for which Ukranian Authorities have at least found, arrested and condemned 2 executants to 12 and 13 Years of jail, but not yet the instigators. For that purpose, they recently accepted an International Experts team to participate to the investigations.     

But, it's only for the Murder of dissident Turkish Cypriot Journalist ADALI, in the occupied territories of Cyprus, that Turkey has NOT yet found ANYONE responsible, and even claimed recently inside CoE that it would be "impossible" to do so !    

These astonishing differences exist despite the fact that ECHR condemned alike Ukraine and Turkey with 2 Judgements on the same year : 2005, for the murders of  Journalists GONGADZE and ADALI, strong critics of Corruption in Ukraine, and of Ankara's policies on mass-influx of Turkish Settlers in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, respectively.    

Regarless of that, CoE's Committee of Ministers, who is entrusted with the duty to supervise execution of ECHR's judgements, has just asked Ukraine's Government to reply to further questions on Gongadze's murder before March 2009, while Turkey, curiously, got a longer postponement for answering questions on Adali's murder, until June...   

A comparison of these cases, raises serious questions about Double Standards :

------------------------

On TRANSPARENCY :
--------------------------
    On Gongadze's murder, CoE's body speaks even about the participation of
"an INTERNATIONAL group of Experts" in the Investigation, (f.ex. of "Tape Recordings"), accepted by Ukraine.
    On the contrary, on Adali's murder, CoE is obliged to repeatedly ask (for a 2nd
time) Turkey whether, at least, it informed the victims' Family, or not...
------------------------------
- On EFFICIENCY :
-----------------------
On Gongadze's murder, CoE formally "recalls that the Committee (of Ministers) ..URGED the Ukranian authorities.. to TAKE ALL NECESSARY INVESTIGATIVE STEPS TO ACHIEVE CONCRETE and VISIBLE RESULTS in the INVESTIGATION, aimed at the Identification of the INSTIGATORS and Organisers of the Murder", and "STRONGLY INVITED the Ukranian Authorities to provide information on the PROGRESS IN THE INVESTIGATION", before MARCH 2009.

But, on Adali's murder, on the contrary, CoE's body merely .. "took note" of the "arguments presented by" Cyprus, which denounce the absence of any proof of new "investigation" by Turkey. Following Turkey's own suggestion (!), it simply "noted" that there is "no limitation period" for "any new element" to "lead potentialy (sic !) to a Re-Opening of the Investigation". Without saying who might find any such "new" fact, since Turkey stoped searching... It also POSTPONED the issue until .. JUNE  !
-----------------------
 - On the PUNISHMENT OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE :
----------------------
 -  On Gongadze's murder case, Ukranian Authorities already arrested and condemned, at least 2 suspects, to 12 and 13 Years of jail. And on Politkovskaya's murder at least 2 suspects are judged, and a 3rd one "wanted".

On the contrary, on Adali's murder case, the Turkish authorities simply claim that "it had not been possible to obtain new .. information .. on the basis of which criminal charges could be brought against ANY person" !...

Moreover,  a LETTER sent by Turkey ...2 Years after CoE's 2006 call to re-investigate anew Adali's murder case, is totally EMPTY of Facts ! As Cypus' Delegation denounced earlier, Turkey's Letter ONLY CLAIMS that a "New Investigation" was made without any result, but does NOT even cite ANY FACT to prove it :

F.ex.,on the crucial issue of the "MOTIVATIONS" behind Adali's murder, noted by ECHR, Turkey MERELY CLAIMS that "all allegations  were investigated; without result", but OMITS ANY FACT TO PROVE IT !..(It doesn't even remind which were these "allegations").. .

+ On ECHR's astonishment that the Turkish Occupation regime didn't produce any "BALLISTIC REPORT" on the Shots which murdered Adali, Turkey again repeats, 12 years later, that, still, even until now, "it  was not possible to obtain the BalisticReport"...

- As for the astonishing absence of key-WITNESSES' Testimonies, denounced by ECHR, Turkey agains repeats various pretexts avoiding to reveal anything, (Fex. that a person "left" the Occupied Territories  "on 2002", or that another witness was heard, but without revealing nothing of what he said, etc).

Turkey obviously "FAILS TO MEET THE CRITICISM made BY THE COURT" for lack of any efficient Investigation in Adali's case, concluded Cyprus' Government.
---------------------------------------------
Replying to our Question which COMPARED these 3 outstanding cases of "JOURNALISTS MURDERS", Adali, Gongadze and Politkovskaya, in order to avoid "Double Standards" by asking from Ukraine and Russia more than what is asked EU candidate Turkey, many European personalities were critical /

They criticised Ankara's recent claim at the CoE to stop investigating, because it would be "impossible to find anyone" responsible for the 5 bullet shots which killed Kutlu ADALI in front of his Family Home, contrary to the other two Journalists' murders, where Ukraine and Russia at least arrested the executants, searching now for the instigators :
----------------------------------

imag0103_400

    - "Where was that ? In Turkish Occupied Cyprus ? WITHOUT ANY DOUBT : Any murder of Journalist should be investigated in full ! All these Murders must be investigated !", replied the famous SAKHAROV's wife, Elena BONNER to our question on Adali's case, compared to Gongadze and Politofskaya.

    Elena Bonner spoke us EXCLUSIVELY shortly after being honored by the President
of EU Parliament on the occasion of 20 Years of her husband's SAKHAROV Prize.

    A strong personality, Sakharov's wife even had to struggle against an anonymous EU staffer who, astonishingly, tried to stop her speaking when h heard our question on "Turkey" (!) : - "Please, let me translate, she continues
speaking, don't stop us !", had to cry Sakharov's daughter, (a Journalist
herself), who was translating her mothers' reply, (obliged to speak louder to
make her voice heard despite the harassment).. (= + Audio Proof !)

    Earlier, Elena Bonner also fustigated "Double Standards" at another case, on
Western countries' attitude vis a vis Kosovo and the Kurds : -F.ex. "You have
recognized a few 400.000 Kosovars as an "independent" country, but you still
deny that to 30 millions of Kurds in Turkey !", she denounced.
-----------------------------
    - "This (ADALI's murder) is an issue which should be pursued by the Committee
for Human Rights. That's why we have one, and it's its duty to examine cases of
Journalists' murders as the one you referred to. You should bring the case in
front of that Committee", suggested in reply to our question on Adali, EU
Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING.

    - "It's impossible  to achieve goals of PEACE, if HUMAN RIGHTS are left out :
in fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.
--------------------------------------
    + "For us (European/International Federation of Journalists) it's clear :
Whenever a Journalist is Murdered, the Investigation should continue until
those Responsible are found !", replied earlier to another question on ADALI
EFJ/IFJ's Secretary General, Aidan WHITE.

    Speaking as a matter of General Principle, White asked us for "concrete data"
on the execution of ECHR's judgement on Adali case, in order to "look at it in
depth" and "make a formal statement", in comparison with the other Murdered
Journalist case, also pending at CoE's  Ministers for completing its execution,
on Ukranian Gongadze.
----------------------------------------------------
     From EU Rapporteur on Human Rights, vice-President of EU Parliament Liberties' Committee, MEP Giusto CATANIA, we were told that, since there is an ECHR judgement in both Adali and Gongadge's cases, "Turkey must naturally execute the judgement and make a full and efficient investigation, until those responsible for the Journalist's murder are found and punished".

    Even if "we (Catania's "EuroLeft" Group) support Turkey's EU perspectives, this does not mean that Ankara should not behave properly. On the contrary, it means that they have to meet tough conditions, particularly on Human Rights", was added on the occasion of Adali's murder case.

    Moreover, "since you raise the issue of Mr. Adali's muder as a part of a Series of Journalist's murders, including fex. Gongadze, Politkovskaya, ao., tthen we (EU) could also act together with CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Thomas HAMMARBERG, it was suggested.

    - "We (EU) must step up efforts against the problem of IMPUNITY : Real Peace cannot exist without Justice",  stressed also this week at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, French Minister on Human Rights, Mrs Rama YADE.
------------------------
                     

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