The First Eurasian Media Forum

THE EAMF MISSION

The Eurasian Media Forum — an organisation with no political, economic or ideological allegiances — aims to examine the concept of Eurasia, to promote the development of its mass media, to facilitate a professional exchange of views on the new challenges faced by the media community since 11 September 2001 and — ultimately — to build a continuing dialogue between East and West.

PARTICIPATION & SUPPORT

The first conference of the Eurasian Media Forum is for invited journalists, experts and political figures from East and West, all with a common interest in the concept and issues of Eurasia.
The conference is being organised with the support of the Khabar Agency (Kazakhstan), the Kazakhstan Television and Radio Broadcasters’ Association, the International Journalist Unions Confederation, the Journalist Unions of Kazakhstan and Russia, the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS), the Intergovernmental TV-Radio Company MIR, the Eurasia Centre at The Judge Institute of Management Studies, University of Cambridge (UK), Associated Press Television News (UK), Stefi UK and News World International.
Practising journalists from international news organisations, including the Associated Press, the BBC and Reuters, are expected to participate, as well as representatives from professional media bodies such as the International Press Institute (IPI), the Organisation of Asian News Agencies (OANA), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), East-West Institute, etc. Journalists working in all media — text, broadcasting and the web — are expected to represent their fields at the forum.

CONFERENCE THEMES

The Almaty Conference will tackle three main themes:
1. EURASIA — THE GEOPOLITICS

• What is Eurasia? Europe + Asia = Eurasia? Definition and identity. What unites and what separates us? Political, economic, religious and social factors. Can Eurasia be a bridge for East-West dialogue and understanding?
• The strategic role of Eurasia in the global politics of the new Millennium. The role of the CIS and Central Asia within Eurasia.

• What has changed since September 11? Reporting a new global war in new terms — the terrorism dimension. Media ethics and standards under new pressures. Impartial observers or the ’journalism of attachment.’ Propaganda, stereotypes and manipulation.
• The role of mass media in investigating the roots of extremism and the causes of despair. Yugoslavia — Chechnya — Afghanistan: consistency or coincidence?
• Conflict reporting -The new kill ratio: military down, reporters up. The impact of new technology. New concepts of international justice: the law of war and war crimes. The need for training, from survival to post-conflict reporting.
• Media independence: an essential component of democracy. Resisting pressure — covering politics and big business. The commercial success factor, positive and negative. Regulatory bodies or self-regulation?

• The media experience in CIS — 10 years of independence.
• Mass media in the wider context of Eurasia. An East-West channel of communication? Does the East understand the West? Does the West understand the East? Can the media help?