Session
Organizer 1: Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Organizer 2: Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Organizer 2: Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 1: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Deniz Wagner, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Roundtable layout and 90-minute duration are ideal for this session as they foster interactive consultation and multi-stakeholder engagement on the Public Interest Framework for Media Freedom. The Roundtable format ensures equal participation, enabling policymakers, media professionals, and civil society to engage in open dialogue. It supports the public consultation process, making it easier to collect diverse perspectives and refine policy recommendations. The 90-minute duration allows for: - A brief presentation of key findings. - An interactive discussion to gather participant input. - A structured dialogue to explore governance solutions. This format promotes collaborative decision-making and ensures that all voices contribute to shaping media freedom and democracy in the digital age. By encouraging engaged discussions in an inclusive setting, this setup maximizes participation and impact while producing actionable insights for policy development.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Roundtable layout and 90-minute duration are ideal for this session as they foster interactive consultation and multi-stakeholder engagement on the Public Interest Framework for Media Freedom. The Roundtable format ensures equal participation, enabling policymakers, media professionals, and civil society to engage in open dialogue. It supports the public consultation process, making it easier to collect diverse perspectives and refine policy recommendations. The 90-minute duration allows for: - A brief presentation of key findings. - An interactive discussion to gather participant input. - A structured dialogue to explore governance solutions. This format promotes collaborative decision-making and ensures that all voices contribute to shaping media freedom and democracy in the digital age. By encouraging engaged discussions in an inclusive setting, this setup maximizes participation and impact while producing actionable insights for policy development.
Policy Question(s)
1) How can media and information literacy be enhanced to safeguard democratic engagement, counter disinformation, and support peace and security in the digital age? This question reflects the session's focus on empowering individuals to critically engage with media and contribute to a pluralistic, democratic media ecosystem.
2) What governance models and frameworks can effectively balance media freedom, public interest, and security in an evolving digital information landscape?
3) What roles should different stakeholders—including governments, tech companies, civil society, and the media—play in shaping a resilient and trustworthy media ecosystem over the next decade?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain critical insights into the evolving challenges of media freedom, democracy, and security in the digital age. They will engage in a multi-stakeholder consultation on the OSCE RFoM’s Public Interest Framework, a policy tool aimed at prioritizing media content that serves the public interest online.
Through this session, attendees will:
- Explore key digital threats affecting press freedom and democratic resilience.
- Understand media and information literacy as a tool for strengthening public engagement.
- Contribute to shaping policy solutions by identifying gaps and best practices.
- Gain diverse perspectives from policymakers, media professionals, and civil society.
- Access practical frameworks for promoting a more pluralistic and secure digital information space.
By fostering collaboration, the session will generate actionable recommendations on ensuring that media and information governance frameworks support democratic principles, security, and public interest in the digital landscape.
Description:
This side event seeks to present the key findings of the OSCE RFoM Report on media freedom, democracy, and security and to consult on the RFoM’s Public Interest Framework for the digital information space. This evolving guidance tool will include best practices and effective methods for recognizing and prioritizing media content that serves the public interest online. The session will also draw on the RFoM’s 2024 multi-stakeholder policy guidance and actionable recommendations on How to Promote Media Freedom Literacy Across the OSCE Region, viewing literacy not only as a tool for empowering individuals to critically engage with media but also as a means to safeguard the broader democratic functions of a free and pluralistic media ecosystem, ensuring citizens’ rights to access reliable information that serves the public interest. Experts and participants will identify key challenges disrupting the information space and discuss why it no longer adequately serves media freedom, democracy, and security. Participants will then deliberate on key concepts for a Public Interest Framework aimed at reimagining the online information space, including discussions on what types of information require protection and promotion, as well as the systems and structures needed to ensure that media and information serve the public interest, strengthen democracy, and contribute to sustainable peace and security.
This side event seeks to present the key findings of the OSCE RFoM Report on media freedom, democracy, and security and to consult on the RFoM’s Public Interest Framework for the digital information space. This evolving guidance tool will include best practices and effective methods for recognizing and prioritizing media content that serves the public interest online. The session will also draw on the RFoM’s 2024 multi-stakeholder policy guidance and actionable recommendations on How to Promote Media Freedom Literacy Across the OSCE Region, viewing literacy not only as a tool for empowering individuals to critically engage with media but also as a means to safeguard the broader democratic functions of a free and pluralistic media ecosystem, ensuring citizens’ rights to access reliable information that serves the public interest. Experts and participants will identify key challenges disrupting the information space and discuss why it no longer adequately serves media freedom, democracy, and security. Participants will then deliberate on key concepts for a Public Interest Framework aimed at reimagining the online information space, including discussions on what types of information require protection and promotion, as well as the systems and structures needed to ensure that media and information serve the public interest, strengthen democracy, and contribute to sustainable peace and security.
Expected Outcomes
1) A consolidated set of recommendations on shaping a Public Interest Framework that promotes media freedom in the digital age.
2) Policy insights on how to safeguard press freedom, enhance democratic resilience, and counter digital threats in online spaces.
3) Strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, fostering dialogue between policymakers, media professionals, and civil society to enhance governance of the digital information space.
4) Follow-up engagement, including a post-session report summarizing stakeholder input, proposed policy actions, and recommendations for ongoing discussions within IGF and relevant governance frameworks.
5) Potential for future consultations, workshops, or collaborations to refine the Public Interest Framework based on feedback gathered during the session.
Hybrid Format: To facilitate interaction between onsite and online participants, a dedicated online moderator will manage virtual engagement, ensuring remote attendees can contribute through live Q&A and discussion. Online and onsite speakers will have equal speaking opportunities, with structured interventions.
To ensure an engaging hybrid experience, the session will use a roundtable format, integrating both online and in-person participants in discussions. Live polling and interactive Q&A will allow real-time contributions from all attendees. Visual materials will be shared both onsite and virtually for accessibility.
Complementary online tools such as Slido or Mentimeter will be used for live polling, Padlet or Google Docs for collaborative note-taking, and Zoom/Webex chat functions to enhance engagement.
This setup ensures seamless participation, fostering an inclusive, interactive, and dynamic discussion on the Public Interest Framework for Media Freedom.