Within the framework of the JUFREX Programme (Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and the Media in South-East Europe), the Council of Europe organized a two-day study visit to Hungary for representatives of the Agency for Electronic Media of Montenegro (AEM), the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media of Serbia, and the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the first day, the AEM representatives visited the educational centre for media literacy Magic Valley (MV), where they witnessed how children visiting the centre develop their practical skills.  The MV Centre offers the opportunity to learn about a direct influence of commercial AVM communications. The workshops are organized for small groups, allowing the children to understand how they are influenced by commercials by compiling stock footages into a commercial based on their own creative ideas.

In addition, the participants in workshops have the opportunity to acquire basic filmmaking knowledge. At the creative workshops, they learn how a film is made. They create a story on their own, and after casting, drafting the dialogues and selecting the costumes, they can start shooting the film. With the help of MV’s film editing programme they can add inserts and soundtracks to make their production complete.

Moreover, participants in the MV Centre’s training can select and edit cover photographs for various types of magazines. They can browse through photo series, try themselves in selecting, positioning and framing images. At the end of the workshop, they can learn storytelling with pictures and the power of images in marketing.

On the second day of the study visit to Hungary, the AEM representatives visited the National Media and Infocommunications Authority of Hungary (NMHH). The NMHH representatives presented the legal framework regulating their remit, as well as the experiences and results of the official procedures and application of the case law in the field of protection of minors from inappropriate content.

The visit also included a presentation of the main features of the Hungarian media market and the role of NMHH. Other topics discussed at the meeting included the protection of minors, monitoring and the analysis of news, EU advertising, sponsorship, product placement, pluralism of ideas, accessibility of TV programmes for people with disabilities, etc.

A separate part of the NMHH’s visit focused implementation of the AVMS Directive, and the challenges the regulatory authorities will face in practical application of this Directive.

The general goal of the JUFREX programme, which included the study visit to Hungary, is the improvement of freedom of expression and freedom of the media in line with the Council of Europe standards.

Photographs from the study visit are available here.

A study visit to Hungary