Regulation of media in terms of pandemic

Abstract

Last ten years, world society is terrified about increased fake news. In the era of digital technologies, information is spreading very fast to every part of the world. And the society is no more dependent only on traditional media recourses. All countries from all over the world are talking about creating mechanisms of digital content regulation, because of increasing of internet users and indefinite access to (illegal and harmful) information. Particularly this has become topical and visible in times of Covid-19 pandemic. Completely new and at first glance invisible pandemic, created in society diversity of opinions, fear, distrust, confusion, aggression, nihilism and a lot of perceptions, facilitator to all these also was indefinitely spreading fake news. Different countries perceived impact of harmful content on society in different ways and reflected it in legislation. Some governments used fighting with pandemic in restriction to freedom of expression. All these mostly jeopardized not only social media, but also traditional media and working journalists there. Till 90’s print and audiovisual media content was bounded with concrete territorial unit of state’s law. Today, with digital train, globalization of information, using internet can’t be framed in specific national law. Free accessibility on receiving of information and media pluralism is more often unacceptable for non-democratic governments. They have begun regulating media, developing laws, which is restricting or even abolishing media sources.

Law violations is marked also in social media. Regulating content of information from governments, using internet platforms is dangerous. It is too difficult to determine fake news and to create adequate mechanisms, so there is a possibility to have unjust norms of regulation, which can cause breaking of people’s constitutional rights.

So, for fighting with fake news in digital era, for protection of freedom of speech and expression, it is important that states have to carry about arming society with knowledge, introducing of media and digital literacy and teaching on different educational level, instead of introducing legal norms.