COMECE participated to the second edition of the “Fundamental Rights Colloquium”, organised on a yearly basis by the European Commission. The topic was “Media Pluralism and Democracy”. The COMECE Secretariat had contributed to the relevant consultation with a detailed submission.
(Credit: Web)
COMECE supports the view that media cannot be analysed under the reductive lenses of commercial and market perspectives, being they closely and vitally linked with our cultures and democracies.
Concerning media literacy, parents and their children deserve particular attention among the targeted actors.
It is essential to fight against incitement to violence or hatred, including by reference to religion. However, the concept of “hate speech” should be harmonised with the right to freedom of expression and information, as it can also be misused to silence debate, give rise to self-censorship and curb diversity of opinions. Concerning the EU Code of Conduct adopted for IT companies to fight against illegal hate speech, the idea of having Civil Society Organisations as “trusted reporters” for alerting about such contents should be implemented in accordance with the existing provisions on effective remedy. Read the COMECE submission.
