Praising words for the Pascal Decroos Fund

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the minister president of Flanders, also competent for media, I would like to warmly welcome you in Brussels. I want to apologize the minister-president for his absence tonight. He would have enjoyed it being here with you, but unfortunately another urgent appointment has changed his plans.

It is with utmost pleasure that I welcome this conference here in this flourishing city, amidst the European business. The ties with Flanders, Europe and the United States have been present for a long time already. However, during the past few weeks they got a lot of attention, especially due to the opening of a Flemish house in New York last week and in Madrid earlier this week. The Flanders House is the first step in projecting the image of Flanders and to reinforcing the economic, cultural, educational and scientific bonds that exist between our Region and the country itself. Next to that, it will be charged with the promotion of Flanders and its capital Brussels as a high-quality and sustainable tourism destination.

All the efforts taken in the positioning and exposure of Flanders and Brussels in a European as well as worldwide forum these days isn’t coincidental any more. The current economic crisis makes it painfully clear how we evolve towards a new World order. A new order that is lead by innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Flanders, boasting a clear international positioning as knowledge economy, simply cannot miss this opportunity.

The sector of the media in Flanders is currently a highly developed and highly qualitative sector that is very diversified and multiform. The editorial staff operates independently of market forces and political influences.

That Flanders also pays a lot of attention to safeguard the journalistic quality can be witnessed by her legislation. The decree on freedom of information legislation wants to strengthen the constitutional state as well as the democracy and makes it possible for civilians – and in this way also for journalists – to consult official administrative documents. For in Flanders we believe strongly that access to official documents is prosperous to a broader democracy and a more active commitment of civilians. A transparent government makes journalists less indebted to the government. And vice versa. This larger autonomy contributes greatly to the professionalism of journalism.

Our efforts regarding the freedom of information enjoy broad international recognition, among others from the European Journalism Centre. Flanders clearly takes the lead in this area.

But despite these and other efforts, we cannot have any influence on the Financial and economic crisis that also has stroke Flanders at the end of 2008. Also media companies have been hit severely by this crisis during the last months. The Flemish story won’t surprise you. Due to a fall back in advertising revenues, commercial TV and radio broadcastings are under a lot of pressure. Daily newspapers see the percentage of advertising revenues vary between 35 and 70 percent, with quality papers as a rule being more dependent on advertisements. It is a fact that the advertising budget is one of the first cost cutting items. Next to that we are also experiencing a rise in the more general costs, as wages, but also of energy and paper prices. All media groups announce savings that have a negative impact on the employment in this sector.

As Minister of Media I want to give course as possible and clear answer to this difficult situation in Flanders. Important, and it seems easier than it truly is, is that we try to do this in a sustainable way. We strongly believe that only a structural approach responding to the high quality and innovative nature of the local media landscape, makes sense.

Therefore, we also take on new roads that go along with the challenges of tomorrow. The economic crisis is the biggest economic challenge ever, are the words of the greatest advocate of change, Barack Obama. Flanders also wants to answer to that call.

In the framework of the already existing measures there is the support of the Flemish Government to the printing press, that already exists for over 10 years. In the last couple of years, the focus lies on the intention to join forces as much as possible.  In order to avoid fragmentation, large projects are concentrated so they do not only reach the widest possible readership, but also tender the costs and effort as efficiently as possible.

A second important measure is the support to the Flemish Association of Professional Journalists and the Council for Journalism. These are important bodies that help to preserve the quality of the media and the ethics of journalism. Good quality journalism must distinguish itself from plain, everyday journalism and counterbalance the strong commercial pressures.

The government also gives financial support to the Pascal Decroos Fund that is founded in 1999. This independent non-profit organisation has as its purpose to promote quality journalism and research in Flanders and beyond. Next to that, it is committed to create opportunities for young people to develop their journalistic talents in practice and to bring people from all layers of society together.

Among the main tasks of this Fund is the allocation of work grants allowing journalists to set up journalistic projects of a special nature and quality, which are virtually impossible to realise within the regular system of the editors. This gives both young and experienced journalists the opportunity to put their ideas into action.

Yet, if we have the ambition to play an innovative and progressive role in the media worldwide, which we clearly have, we need to go further. Dare to think deeper. What challenges will the future bring along? How can quality, diversity and independence be guaranteed? What role does the government play? How can we best support this sector? How will the role of the journalist evolve? What impact will new media, the Internet and citizen media have?

In order to change ideas and mindsets with the sector in a structural way, I decided to organise a States-General of the media very soon, on March 19.
 
The States-General must be interpreted as a sort of platform where the media, in all their diversity, are brought together.

In the short term, this must lead to an answer to the question on how and with what kind of instruments the government can guarantee the quality, independence and viability of the press. In the longer term, the results of the States-General can be formalised in decrees or other regulatory instruments.

I am convinced that this exercise comes at the right moment. Because especially in times of crisis, it is not an option to wait until the storm has blown over. Furthermore, the quality of the media is directly related to the quality of democracy. And that cannot be jeopardised in any way.


 
Ladies and gentlemen,

We cannot deny that the media have a significant influence on our society and on the way we think. And it is also a fact, that in an international context, biased or unfavourable criticism could even be fatal for a smaller region like ours. The Flanders’ houses which are located at various strategic places in the world, are making an important contribution to the positive reporting from our region.

In New York, for example, a daily selection of the Flemish newspapers is translated and sent to foreign correspondents. They are complementary to the articles that are coming from the French part of Belgium, which the media generally consider as the reference for their coverage of our region.

It may thus be clear that in Flanders, we attach great importance to our identity and our image abroad.
 
As I said in my introduction, Flanders aims to concentrate on innovation, creativity and sustainability as a clear advantage towards the other regions. This ambition is one of the leads in Flanders’ plan for the future, called Flanders in Action, where we have the ambition to become a European top region by 2020.

Besides innovation, we also play to our strategic location in the heart of Europe, on our talents, on internationalisation, on logistics and mobility. These are all trumps that have initiated our prosperity and our well-being today. With the future of Flanders and the Pact 2020 we will expose these trumps again, but now in a national and international context.

The pact 2020 includes 20 concrete quantitative objectives that call for Flanders’ evolution and realisation of its goals by the year 2020. In order to subscribe to the societal commitment, the pact was signed by all groups of society: the government, the employers’ organisations, the unions, the associations and captains of society. In Flanders, we hold the strong belief that our plan for the future, Flanders in Action, will succeed as it starts with a clear vision and an ambitious goal, and because it is carried by all societal groups.

A start has been made with the implementation of this plan, but the actual implementation will be fully deployed and realised by the next government to be elected by the regional elections next June. This important summit of the international media will also help to bring along a new dynamism. With new ideas and new initiatives. Therefore, Flanders in Action is one of the main sponsors of this congress.

In return, Flanders wants to share its knowledge for example with regard to innovative technologies such as high definition television, the evolution of mobile television, the exploitation of the digital ether. Besides that, we are also playing a leading role in measures that need to safeguard the independence of the media and thereby to ensure democracy in Flanders. In Flanders, we believe that the future lies in our own hands, in our willingness and our determinedness to change.  We illustrate this by the saying: a goal is dream with a deadline. We have a goal and a deadline. We must now fulfil our dream together.

I wish you all a very enriching debate. 

Minister-President of Flanders, Kris Peeters,at DNA conference, March 4, 2009, Brussels.
Read by his Press Advisor Caroline Uyttendaele