Media Values

In 1990, Bill Porter set up the International Communications Forum (ICF) as a body to campaign for higher ethical standards in journalism. By his death in April 2009 the ICF had become a major international organisation. Media Values brings together the writings of 27 experienced international journalists and artists to celebrate Bill Porter’s life and reflect on the values that he promoted through the ICF.• Bernard Margueritte argues that the moral leadership provided by men such as Bill Porter can inspire us all to work for higher standards in the media• Fabrice Boulé advocates the role of the media in conflict resolution.• Alan Channer stresses the role of the theatre as a force for good• John B Fairfax traces the impact of proprietors on newspaper history• Carol Goar explains how she learned some risks are worth taking• Martyn Lewis promotes solution-oriented journalism• Rafael Marques de Morais assesses media standards in Angola.• Natalya Skvortsova suggests its time for journalists to admit their mistakes• Bob Webb argues that all journalists have a duty to challenge racism.One section of Media Values concentrates on the new ethical dilemmas facing journalists in the age of the internet. Magnus Linklater for instance, argues that, while the advent of the internet and 24/7 news operations are changing the face of journalism, there is no reason why the industry should abandon the principles on which it is founded. Other contributors include John Bond, Małgorzata Bonikowska, John Carlisle, Charles Chasie, Simon Cohen, Gordon Graham, Grigory Gundarin, Henry Heald, Michael Henderson, John Munro, Olga Noskova, Hugh Nowell, Danko Plevnik, Michael Smith, William Stainsby, Faustina Starrett, Tomáš Vrba and Hugh Steadman Williams.