REM participation in The Role of Media in Democratic Countries seminar
A representative of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media participated in the The Role of Media in Democratic Countries seminar in Tokyo, which was organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 12 to 29 November.
As part of the technical assistance of Japan, which is implemented in cooperation with the Japanese public service broadcaster (NHK), this year’s programme of exchange of knowledge between the Japanese media experts and representatives of institutions and media from Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, Mongolia, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Fiji, Grenada and Kosovo* was designed.
The purpose of the seminar is to familiarise the participants with the media system of Japan, the role of the national public service broadcaster, the principles of self-regulation on which the Japanese media industry is based through the long-standing institution of BPO (Broadcasting Ethics and Programme improvement Organisation), promotion of media literacy, the role of the media, and especially the public service broadcaster, in the era of disinformation, reporting during election campaigns, as well as in crisis situations (such as natural disasters).
In addition to the above topics, the participants had the opportunity to learn about the NHK capacities in Okinawa and the role of the public service broadcaster in the daily life of citizens in terms of timely reporting during natural disasters, all with the aim of preserving human lives.
However, this seminar was designed not only to allow for learning about the media system of Japan, but to be a platform for promoting mutual learning and sharing of skills among the participants coming from different backgrounds and with different cultural and media heritage.
A special event attended by the participants of the seminar was the Japan Prize film festival, which the NHK has traditionally been organising for the past 60 years. This special event brings together media creators from all over the world and rewards outstanding works that encourage people to keep learning, thinking, empathising and taking action to improve the world. After the projections of the selected works, the participants had an opportunity to participate in round table discussions on the given work, one of which dealt with the rise of artificial intelligence and the impact of deep fake on the daily life of women.
This seminar has contributed to professional development, strengthening of transparency, promotion of accountability and safeguarding of pluralism in the media environment, as well as enhancement of cooperation with colleagues from different parts of the world through the promotion of basic democratic values in the media sphere.
The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media would like to express its profound gratitude for the opportunity provided to the employees of its technical services through participation in the Japan International Cooperation Agency programme, to enhance their expertise, apply good practice examples and establish new contacts with colleagues from around the world, with the aim of improving the quality of the media system and upholding the media system rooted in democratic values in their country.
