The Enabling Environment For Free and
Independent Media
By Monroe E. Price & Peter Krug
The publication of this document represents the growing international support for democracy and strengthening free and independent media as a key element in contributing to transparent and accountable governance. One important expression of this interest emanated from the June 1997 Denver G8 Summit meeting where the formal proceedings included discussions of G8 support for democracy. In the following September, a meeting of representatives of the G8 countries was hosted by the U.S. State Department to discuss in greater depth how to support democratic development worldwide.
Building on the momentum of these meetings, the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor took the initiative of funding a proposal submitted to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Center for Democracy and Governance, for the preparation of a study identifying the legal and institutional requirements for free and independent media. The proposal originated with a conference at the Freedom Forum's Media Study Center in New York co-convened by the Center for Democracy and Governance. The conference brought together donor and donee organizations involved in media law reform.
With funding from the State Department, and under the technical management of the Center for Democracy and Governance, a grant was awarded to the Nation's Institute to identify the principle characteristics of a legal enabling environment for free and independent media, and to prepare and disseminate a document embodying those elements.
The grant was coordinated through the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP) at the University of Oxford. A conference was held in June 1998 to help design the studies and develop the materials for this document. This included commissioning a group of essays on media law reform in a wide variety (geographical and in terms of stage of transition) of societies, including Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Uruguay and Poland.
Professors Peter Krug and Monroe E. Price undertook preparation of this document. Individuals who are involved in media reform in Africa, Latin America, South East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the post-Soviet Republics of Central Asia reviewed the document. Among those who were most instrumental in seeing the project to conclusion were Ann Hudock, Department of State, Gary Hansen and David Black, USAID Center for Democracy and Governance, Stefaan Verhulst, Director of the PCMLP, Dr. Beata Rozumilowicz and Bethany Davis, the PCMLP, and Eric Johnson, Internews.2000 ã.