World Association for Christian Communication Contact: Sheila George, WACC +44 (0)208-123-4010 +44 (0)207-587-3000 sg@wacc.org.uk
Press Release # 2
INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS DEBATE IMBALANCE IN
NEWS COVERAGE AND NEWSROOM AS ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS?? GLOBAL MEDIA STUDY LAUNCHES 15 FEBRUARY
LONDON, 31 January 2006 ? Channel 4 News Jon Snow will moderate a media roundtable with distinguished journalists from Al-Jazeera, Mail & Guardian South Africa and other international news outlets at the launch of ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS? Three Weeks of Global Action," 15 February at 9:30 a.m. in the Music Room at the Foreign Press Association, 11 Carlton House Terrace.
In addition to Snow, the media roundtable participants will include: Ferial Haffajee (Editor, Mail & Guardian South Africa); Lesley Abdela, MBE (She-evolution); Stephen Pritchard (Board Member of the Organisation of News Ombudsmen and Letters Editor for The Observer ); Lindsey Hilsum (International Editor, Channel 4 News); Bob Jobbins, OBE (Chairman, Rory Peck Trust and former head of BBC World Service News and Current Affairs); and Yosri Fouda (Western Europe Correspondent for Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel).
The journalists will debate the media?s ability/inability to be a fair and balanced ?mirror on the world? in the light of ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS?,? the report of the WACC Global Media Monitoring Project, whose findings are based on 12,983 newspaper, TV and radio news stories reviewed by hundreds of volunteers in 76 countries on one day in 2005.
Inequality in the newsroom and imbalance in
international news coverage of women and men are just two of the findings of the report, which will be released internationally at this event. Journalistic practice, news content and who delivers the news are also analyzed in ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS?.? A surprising finding in the area of media bias and stereotyping is that news media creates often unintentional distortions that impact their credibilty, creating more of a ?circus mirror? than a ?mirror on the world.
Organized in conjunction with the International Federation of Journalists, TVE, Amnesty International and Article 19, the media roundtable will be conducted in the style of BBC Radio Four?s ?The Commission,? with the report?s findings debated between journalists and ?witnesses.? An opening press conference will precede the media roundtable.
In addition to the release of ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS??, the event will also serve as the international launch of ?WHO MAKES THE NEWS: Three Weeks of Global Action? (16 February ? 8 March). Endorsed by UNIFEM, UNESCO and international partners around the world, more than 50 countries will participate by holding events during the three weeks to raise awareness of the report?s findings in their local media, encouraging dialogue between the public and media on the findings.
All members of the media are invited to attend the roundtable at the Foreign Press Association. Space is limited. For more information and to RSVP for the media roundtable, please contact Sheila George at WACC, +44 (0) 207-587-3000 or at sg@wacc.org.uk.