Master Class in Broadcast Regulation for Elections
24-26 March 2010, Paris, France

During this Master Class we will explore all aspects of how a regualatory authority can and must play a part in upholding freedom of expression while balancing the rights and responsibilities of broadcasters to report on the democratic process of elections.

Whilst taking into account understood methodologies in the traditional issues of broadcast regulation, this course will focus on emerging issues, including broadcasting standards during election periods, the role of the broadcasting regulator, media monitoring and political advertising.

The Master Class in Broadcast Regulation for Elections is the perfect event for communications and broadcasting regulators, broadcast policy makers, public and private broadcasting companies, as well as for those who observe or study broadcasting and media regulation.

In particular, the course will cover:

• International and comparative law and standards
• Why the issue of media during elections is so important
• The role of the private and public broadcasters-airtime, debates and voter education
• Broadcast standards during elections period
• Monitoring, compliance and enforcement
• Procedures for handling complaints
• Social networking technologies and the use of new media in elections
• Problem solving exercises using case studies

 Delegates will also have ample the opportunity to discuss individual cases with other delegates and Albany Associates’ experts and course instructors..

The Master Class will take place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France and the language for the course will be English.

• Management and staff of broadcasting regulatory authorities
• Management and staff of elections commissions
• Members and staff of converged communications regulatory authorities responsible for regulating broadcasting
• Staff working in ministries and government departments associated with broadcasting and broadcast regulatory policy
• Staff working in public and private broadcasting organisations
• Students and academics studying broadcasting or media regulation

Albany Associates’ training programmes draw upon all of the company’s core competencies: strategic communications, broadcast regulation and media development, blending traditional teaching methods and innovative approaches to learning. Albany provides instruction, for example, in public information and advocacy work, crisis communications and legal and regulatory frameworks in telecommunications and broadcasting. Albany’s wide range of teaching programmes, which include classroom-based instruction, masterclasses, workshop training and case study work, are always led by experts with extensive experience working in the field, who can draw upon real-life examples throughout each course.

Post-conflict countries, understandably keen to embrace new communications ideas and methodologies, have provided some of Albany’s greatest challenges and successes. Albany offers extensive training for those working in such environments. Albany also delivers courses of interest to those working in more stable environments, providing instruction on new advancements in the communications sector. Albany can plan and deliver courses anywhere in the world, tailored to meet a client’s particular needs, addressing subjects and issues uniquely critical to each client’s operations.

The training and development sector of Albany Associates strives to share established principles as well as explore emergent themes across its areas of expertise. In continuing to deliver timely solutions to a wide range of international stakeholders, while embracing cultural sensitivities, Albany Associates has created a credible track record in training and development. This flexibility, combined with an inherent understanding of clients’ needs, closely aligned with a strong sense of purpose, allows the company to deliver what it promises.

For more information on Albany Associates' Training please click here…

UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialised United Nations agency, it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to publish scientific breakthroughs. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men.

Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 193 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

UNESCO is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.

This role is critical, particularly in the face of terrorism, which constitutes an attack against humanity. The world urgently requires global visions of sustainable development based upon observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which lie at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and activities.

For more information on UNESCO’s activities please click here…

Day 1

Introduction to the Master Class
Introduction of instructors and delegates. Agreeing the outcomes of the course.

Session 1

• International and comparative law and standards
• The importance of regulating broadcasting during elections
• The broadcasting regulatory principles as contained in elections laws
• Why the issue of media in elections is so important

Session 2

• The application of media rules during elections
• Balanced and equitable election reporting

Session 3

• The role of the private and public broadcasters:  airtime, debates and voter education
• Media’s role as election watchdog
• Democratic purposes of broadcasting during elections
• Print media and internet:  what role do they play and how are they regulated?

Session 4

• Broadcast standards during elections periods
• Can and should regular broadcast codes of content apply?
• Political advertisements

Day 2

Session 1

• Monitoring, compliance and enforcement
• Procedure for handling complaints
• Discussion about cases and examples

Session 2

• Appeals processes
• Discussion about cases and examples

Session 3

• Cooperation between the principal agencies: broadcast regulators and the elections commissions

Session 4

• Social networking technologies and the use of new media in elections
• How new media tools support elections campaigns

Day 3

Session 1

• The role of private broadcasters in complying with the regulator

Sessions 2 & 3

• Problem solving exercises

Delegates will be divided into groups to solve problems involving regulation of media during elections. This will be followed by review and discussion of the solutions.

Session 4

• Sweep up

Before we end there will be ample time for delegates to raise any issues or ask additional questions

Paris, France

Located in the north of the country on the river Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. For the first time visitor, there is the magic of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame.

UNESCO Headquarters

The Master Class will be held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Situated in the heart of the French Capital, the building is close to many of the city’s famous attractions

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.

Dieter Loraine     is co-founder of Albany Associates. He has over 18 years experience of strategic communications, institution building and media and regulatory development. Prior to forming Albany he was Senior Consultant for Media Regulation with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Media Development and Regulation Advisory Team in Iraq which established the Middle East’s first independent converged communications regulatory agency. Between 1998 and 2003 Dieter served in several senior positions in both the Independent Media Commission and Communications Regulatory Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also worked in the field of press self regulation as a former Special Adviser to the UK Press Complaints Commission and founder of the Press Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Dieter has worked with broadcasting and communications regulators in Kosovo, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Romania and Bulgaria.

Katrin Nyman-Metcalf is Professor of International and Comparative Law at Audentes International University in Tallinn, Estonia and a regular visiting professor at universities in Georgia, Latvia and Sweden lecturing in public international, EU and comparative law with a special emphasis on communications law. Her PhD from Uppsala University, Sweden (1999) deals with the law of outer space including legal issues related to the use of space for communications. Apart from her academic work, Professor Nyman-Metcalf is active as an international consultant in the area of communications law (telecommunications and media) as well as infrastructure and general institution building. Projects include regular legal analysis of media and communications legislation for the OSCE and Council of Europe, EU legislative projects and various professional training projects.  In 1998-1999 Dr. Nyman-Metcalf was Head of the Legal Department of the Independent Media Commission (later Communications Regulatory Agency) in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina and later (until 2004) active as legal advisor to the Agency. She was also involved as advisor and as member of the first Council of the broadcast regulator in Kosovo (until 2007) and is currently involved in training the Iraqi communications regulator. Dr. Nyman-Metcalf has published extensively on international and EU law, including on media issues. She is an Estonian national, resident in Tallinn and speaks seven languages.

Douglas Griffin     is an attorney specialising in media and communications issues.  He has worked in the United Arab Emirates providing advice on regulatory issues, in Sudan on a public information campaign related to the peace process in Darfur, and in Iraq on capacity building projects with the media and telecommunications regulator.  He is also advising Jordanian institutions on the establishment of a media law curriculum, the development of an annual media law and policy institute, and other law and policy issues. 

Doug was the lawyer for the Media Development and Regulatory Advisory Team that Albany Associates deployed in Iraq.  In that capacity, he drafted codes and regulations applying to Iraqi media, drafted legal opinions designed to protect the media and public service broadcaster from government influence, drafted procedural rules for administering complaints against media, drafted media legislation for presentation to the Iraqi legislature, and advised the Iraqi interim and transitional governments on the role of independent regulators of media and telecommunications. 

Prior to his position in Iraq, Doug worked with Internews Europe where he assisted media rights advocates in developing countries and was in private practice for five years with the international law firm of Latham & Watkins in New York, Moscow and Paris representing clients on a variety of media and communications matters.

Dunja Mijatovic is Director of Broadcasting at the Communications Regulatory Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She joined the Independent Media Commission IMC, a predecessor of the CRA, on its establishment in 1998, and since then she has been involved in media regulation in BiH and abroad.

Dunja Mijatovic was elected as EPRA Chairperson at the 25th EPRA Meeting in Prague on 18 May 2007. Ms. Mijatovic is the first EPRA Chair from a non-EU Member State and the first woman at the head of this European network of media regulators created in 1995. Up to now, 51 regulatory authorities from 42 countries in Europe have become members of the EPRA. The European Commission and the Council of Europe are standing observers of the Platform.

Dunja holds a Master's Degree in European Studies after studies at the Universities of Sarajevo, Sussex, Bologna and the London School of Economics, which she completed with a thesis on the "Internet and Freedom of Expression". In the period from 2005-2007 she preformed duties as the Chairperson of the Council of Europe’s Group of Specialists on freedom of expression and information in times of crisis.

She is a member of several professional associations and has written numerous articles on topics such as the Digital Divide, media regulation in post conflict zones, use of hate speech and incitement to religious and national hatred in media etc.

Louise McMurchie is a media consultant specialising on advising on Public Policy and Regulation. Louise works in the UK commercial television sector and provides policy advice to broadcasters on regulation of the communications industry. She is responsible for drafting responses to OFCOM consultations on behalf of broadcasters and trade associations. She is the regulatory advisor to broadcasters, including Discovery Networks Europe, BSkyB channels, UKTV network and the advertising sector

Louise is also a recognised expert on European media regulation and works on 'media and democracy' projects in emerging democracies, such as Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Louise worked for seven years at the Independent Television Commission, the national regulatory authority that preceded the Office of  Communications (OFCOM). She specialised in both Content Regulation and Public Affairs and is a Council of Europe expert on media regulation.

To book online click here.

To download a printable version of our booking form click here.

Please post or fax your completed form to:

Anna Staevska
Albany Associates Ltd
Fox House
10 Whimple Street
Plymouth, PL1 2DH
Devon, UK

Fax: +44 (0) 1752 604 200

For more information please contact Dieter Loraine or Anna Staevska on:
Tel: +44 (0) 1752 604 211
Email: masterclass@albanyassociates.com