December 4, 2008, Sarajevo - Eleven media professionals from nine SEENPM countries completed a blended-learning program in online ethics at a workshop held at the Mediacentar Sarajevo on December 1-3, 2008. Under the guidance of course leader David Brewer, participants produced ethical guidelines covering accuracy, balance and impartiality, privacy, fairness, consent, taste, decency, offence, diversity, engaging the audience, integrity, and independence. As Brewer, an internationally recognized expert in new media stated, “all attending the final face-to-face session are now equipped with the knowledge needed for them to train others about the importance of editorial ethics, not just for online journalists, but for all journalists.”  >>

June 30, 2008, Budapest - Twelve stories on food safety were published by the print, broadcast and online media in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia as a result of a project aimed to draw public attention to the importance of food safety problems in the region. Earlier, journalists, together with colleagues from Croatia and Macedonia met with international and Hungarian experts and fellow journalists during a study tour in Hungary. During these meetings in March 2008, they analyzed the food safety situation and their coverage in the South East region, and formulated their recommendations on these issues.  The project was implemented by the Center for Independent Journalism, Budapest (CIJ, www.cij.hu) as part of the activities of the South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM, www.seenpm.org ). The project was supported by the Open Society Institute Network Media Program (www.osf-eu.org). >>

March 30, 2008, Sarajevo. SEENPM launched an eight-month trainer training program in ethics for online media with the leadership of Mediacentar, Sarajevo. The project is supported by the Open Society Institute Network Media Program. The program aimed at equipping 18 online media professionals from SEENPM countries and Kosovo with extensive knowledge and skills to become leaders in the field of journalistic ethics in online media and trainers of Internet ethics for journalists. >>

The project on the EU Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive analyzed how the new directive replacing the one on Television without Frontiers may affect freedom of expression in SEENPM countries and Kosovo. As an outcome, a research document incorporating a regional overview and twelve country reports was produced.  It is titled “The Anticipated Impact of Regulating On-demand/Non-linear Services by the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive on Freedom of Speech in some Post-Communist Democracies of Central and South East Europe”. >>

The project on “Public Service Broadcasting and Digital Age” mapped current practices and policies in order to provide recommendations on television programming in a multi-channel environment in five SEENPM countries. The research coordinated by Mediacentar, Sarajevo resulted in the publication of a book entitled “Public Service Television in the Digital Age: Strategies and Opportunities in Five South-East European Countries”. The book incorporates a regional overview and reports from Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. >>

The project on “Domestic Prime Time Television News” compared the evening shows of public and commercial channels and promoted quality programming in the broadcast industries of South Eastern Europe. Coordinated by the Media Plan Institute, Sarajevo, the television news monitoring project included the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. As an outcome, a book entitled “Prime Time Domestic News: Indicator of Public Interest” was published. >>

The project on “Labor Relations in Media”overviewed current practices and set guidelines in order to improve the working conditions of media professionals in SEENPM countries.  The research coordinated by the Independent Journalism Center, Chisinau resulted in a comprehensive regional summary and eleven country reports in PDF format available for local and regional advocacy activities. >>

The project on “Patterns of Political Instrumentalization and Clientelism in Media in South Eastern Europe” contributed to the introduction of regulatory and self-regulatory instruments in order to improve business culture and eliminate corruption in the media of the former Yugoslav states. The project was organized by the Peace Institute, Ljubljana in cooperation with the following five partner organizations: the Media Center, Sarajevo; the International Center for Education of Journalists, Opatija; the Macedonian Institute for Media, Skopje; the Montenegro Media Institute, Podgorica; and the Novi Sad School of Journalism.   >>