Good practices to ensure transparency and integrity of media companies

This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from one of Transparency International’s national chapters. The Anti-Corruption Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International and funded by the European Union.

Query

Could you give examples of good practices to ensure transparency and integrity in media companies?

Purpose

We are planning to carry out a sectorial diagnostic of the media sector and subsequently produce a guide to good practices in transparency and integrity in the media.

Content

1. Integrity risks in the practice of media companies
2. Good practices to promote media transparency and integrity
3. References

Summary

Funding shortages, growing undue political and private influence, and the oppression of journalists worldwide pose enormous challenges to the media, potentially undermining its capacity to carry out its core democratic functions in a transparent and credible way.

There is limited analysis available of media integrity. Scholars and activists have identified the most pressing issues risking pluralism and integrity as: the lack of media ownership transparency, especially the lack of information on media companies’ beneficial owners; non-transparent financing; and the substantial increase in non-transparent use of both state and private advertising.

Advocacy and campaign actions on these topics, as well as other corruption risks, remain limited, and awareness of media integrity risks, both among stakeholders and the public, is low. However, promising developments include the successful advocacy actions to promote efficient adoption and implementation of media transparency ownership rules and the creation of databases of media ownership structures. International journalist networks and civil society have put significant effort into raising awareness among journalists and media outlets of corruption risks and have campaigned against paid-for journalism, non-transparent advertising and bribery in the sector.

Authors

Reviewers

Date

30/05/2016

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