Noordwijk 1996

47^th Congress: ‘Media and Democracy’

Theme Resolution: 

Media and Democracy

Adopted by the 47th Congress of the Liberal International on 5-8 June 1996, Noordwijk, Netherlands

This congress, considering that:

• the freedom of information and the free expression of opinion is part of the essence of democracy;
• in some countries the independence of the media is endangered by fiscal and economic pressure and harassment by the government with the aim of destabilising them financially;
• the lives or well-being of journalists in many countries are threatened by governments, political organisations and organised crime;
• in many countries the media have attained a position by which they can exercise great influence on the political and economic process;
• there should never be power without accountability;

Is therefore of the opinion that:

• governments should refrain from applying pressure on the media;
• constitutional and legal arrangements should guarantee the freedom to establish media and to disseminate news and opinions with a view to providing citizens with a plurality of sources and channels for news and views so they may participate in the democratic process in an informed and responsible manner;
• the use and the importance of the media should be part of the educational system;
• these arrangements should also guarantee the free access by citizens and the media to official government records through Freedom of Information Legislation;
• governments should therefore concentrate on broad policies which aim to provide free and equal access to the means of communication, including the electronic highway, always under the rule of law;
• excessive concentration of news providers and information channels should be countered by antitrust legislation;
• liberals should encourage the development of press and media ethics and codes of conduct as well as institutions and procedures designed to supervise the adherence to ethical standards, on a voluntary, non-governmental basis;
• one such measure is the establishment of a non-governmental ‘media complaints commission’ to which individual citizens may address their grievances.

These arrangements should stress the need to protect the individual against invasions of privacy, defamation and other damaging publicity and include provisions for retraction or rectification of reports that are found to violate the journalistic code of ethics; schools of journalism, professional organisations and the institutions set up by journalists and publishers should promote high ethical and professional standards of journalistic performance in the media; the coverage of human rights should be given special emphasis in the media; equitable access to the electronic highway for individual citizens and groups as suppliers and demanders of information should be maintained.