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

*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+.

    "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).

    - 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)...

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

    + 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 ).