Media Law Conference: What Kind of Freedom for a Free Press?
At this year's Media Law Conference on May 14, experts will explore the question of where free media reach the limits of their guarantee of freedom.
The media enjoy constitutional guarantees of freedom. This is a key prerequisite for enabling them to contribute to the free formation of opinion and, in particular, to expose abuses. However, this protection is not absolute. When individuals and institutions come under media scrutiny, the media’s reporting may, for example, come up against the limits of the protection of privacy, freedom of religion, or the prohibition against discrimination. Thus, legal issues and disputes frequently arise that the media themselves bring into the spotlight through their form of mass communication.
As part of the Media Institute’s traditional Media Law Conference, Gitti Hug, a partner at the law firm Altenburger, will be among those explaining what copyright law has to say about the controversial practice of sharing on social media. In her presentation, Nancy Wayland Bigler from Bakom examines how free and open the media landscape should be in the digital space. Denise Schmohl, who has just completed a dissertation on this sensitive topic, explains why editorial confidentiality is coming under increasing pressure in Switzerland. In his presentation, National Council member Balthasar Glättli emphasizes how important net neutrality is for media freedom. Christoph Born, a partner at Wenner & Uhlmann, clarifies the extent to which case law provides unambiguous guidance when assessing satire in the media.
Based on these principles.
Other presentations at the Media Law Conference will also provide practical tips on the proper use of digital photos and on conducting research in archives. The Media Law Conference will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, at the Hotel Krone Unterstrass in Zurich. For more information, please visit here.
