New Book: Media Ownership: Impact on Media Independence and Pluralism in Slovenia and Other Post-socialist European Countries

The issues of media ownership concentration and the formulation and implementation of an effective media legislation received considerable attention in recent years. Within the Media Watch program, we drew attention to the threat these issues pose to media pluralism in 2002 based on the analysis made by Sandra B. Hrvatin and Lenart Kueie. One year later, in 2003, a regional research and advocacy project was proposed and approved. It was carried out from July 2003 to June 2004 by the Peace Institute within the South East European Network for the Professionalisation of the Media (SEENPM). Its goal was to bring together the post-socialist European countries and initiate a debate about media concentration and potential changes in public policies.

This book contains the regional overview compiled on the basis of the 18 country reports written for this project, the full text of the Slovenian report and the conclusions and recommendations of the international conference organized upon the conclusion of the project.