"Green Paper" on the media” “

Concentrations of media, protection of sources are, in the view of Reporters sans frontiers, the two main problems of European information. In this regard, a proposal for a “Green Paper” on media concentration was recently presented by the European Parliament. To review the state of health of European information we interviewed Soria Blatmann , bureau chief for Europe, Chechnya and Turkey of Reporters sans frontières, who was visiting Italy to receive the “Ilaria Alpi” award for journalism (Riccione, 5-7 June 2003). Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are threatened in various countries. Are there also similar risks in the Old Continent? “I would say no. According to a classification for 2002 compiled by Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) on press freedom and pluralism of information, out of 139 countries, those of Europe occupied the first positions in the league table. The only exception was Italy, in 40th place. In Europe dictatorships do not exist and the situation of information is still undisturbed”. Are the big media concentrations in Italy, France, Great Britain and Germany a threat for pluralism? “Not yet, but they could become so. Any conflicts of interest must be resolved by the national parliaments and also by appropriate international legislation; especially now that Europe is going through an historic phase in its enlargement. A basic rule of democracy is the separation between political and media power”. But how can any risk be prevented? “We place a good deal of trust in the work of the European Commission and on the drafting of a ‘Green Paper’, proposed by the European Parliament, on media concentrations, so that definite rules be laid down and limitations established”. Apart from concentrations, are there other problems? “One in particular: the protection of journalists’ sources. After 11 September 2001 house searches and the confiscation of material to the detriment of journalists were conducted in some European states such as France, Spain, and the UK. In Denmark one journalist was pressured to reveal his sources within the Islamic community. It is the task of the journalist to inform the public and not to assist the police in its investigations. If he were to reveal his sources of information, his relation of trust with those sources would be damaged, and so would so-called investigative journalism”. Europe is in the process of expanding eastwards, into the countries of the former Communist bloc… “With due distinctions these countries have made an effort to adjust to European and international standards on press freedom, as in Croatia, Montenegro and also in Serbia, before the assassination of premier Zoran Djindjic on 12 March 2003. The state of emergency imposed after his death favoured censorship. Some exceptions have to be made for Romania which has, let us say, ‘gagged’ some organs of the press to prevent a press contrary to EU membership”. What’s your view of the Pope’s appeal that the media be at the service of the truth and not of particular interests? “The Pope’s Message on the occasion of the Day of Social Communications on 1st June made a big impression on me due to its actuality. It’s a strong admonition to governments and society as a whole to invest in the media and ensure that they be placed at the service of truth and of justice. We share that appeal and, as the RSF, are devoting our efforts in this direction by heightening the awareness of public opinion in our countries and also recalling that there are journalists who have given their life for this cause or are being held in various prisons throughout the world. Eighteen journalists have been killed in the pursuit of their profession just in the first half of 2003 and 130 are being detained in prison”.