Intermediaries: a direct and effective role in #OpenJournalism?

Open Journalism does not come easy. The practice of involving readers in the news-making process raises questions that are legal, ethical, and regulatory in nature. In an effort to address these issues, the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media is holding a series of expert meetings to explore the challenges and opportunities that come with Open Journalism.

The role of intermediaries 
Intermediaries, or hubs for content, such as Twitter, Facebook and Google, have become one of the main platforms facilitating access to media content as well as enhancing the interactive and participatory role of Open Journalism. The role that these intermediaries play in the distribution of, and access to, journalistic content is one of the major issues within the broader concept of Open Journalism.

The third expert meeting on Open Journalism

Organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, this meeting on 9 December 2015, in Vienna, will provide a platform for media experts, representatives from civil society, representatives from intermediaries, and journalists to discuss this key aspect of Open Journalism.  Join the discussion by tweeting your questions and comments via Twitter, using the hashtag #OpenJournalism. The meeting can be viewed via the live webcast.

Learn more

The power that was previously concentrated in the hands of the media proprietors, has since the birth of social media been distributed to the everyday people. The consumers of news, the passive audience, have become active co-collaborators in the process of producing news.

Paul Lewis, journalist, The Guardian 

To learn more about Open Journalism and previous expert meetings, please visit our resource page Open Journalism and the open road ahead. 

The expert meetings and our efforts are meant to explore the concept of Open Journalism, and to provide an understanding of the future of free media.

Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

Gill Phillips, director of editorial legal services for The Guardian, explains Open Journalism, user-generated content in news and its legal implications.