The Council of Europe's Human Rights: Perspective on the Media

• Published date: 14 October 2011
• Date: 14 October 2011
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S0275-7982(2011)0000006004
• Pages: 25-39
• Author: Sam Cherribi

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S

HUMAN RIGHTS: PERSPECTIVE ON

THE MEDIA

Sam Cherribi

ABSTRACT

The theory of the civilizing process, first introduced by sociologist

Norbert Elias, refers to the process by which aggressiveness becomes

‘‘domesticated’’ through an individual’s or community’s adoption of

civilized codes of conduct and patterns of social behavior. From the

perspective of this theory, fundamental civil liberties and human rights, as

defined in the European Convention for Human Rights, can be seen as an

essential catalyst in the civilizing process. Human rights is a topic high on

the agenda of many international and non-governmental organizations.

Yet little is known about the way that these organizations operate in their

aims to further the universalism of human rights, and in particular with

regard to human rights and the media. The Council of Europe (CoE) is a

major non-governmental organization involving dozens of countries from

around the world, and it plays a major role in political bargaining with

nations. In addition to the CoE’s commitment to human rights, it devotes

considerable resources to investigate and document developments in the

media as well as human rights violations in its member countries, it takes

measures to sanction countries that are in violation of its codes, and it sets

forth a policy agenda for the future. In this chapter, the author has drawn

Human Rights and Media

Studies in Communications, Volume 6, 25–39

Copyright r2011 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited

All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

ISSN: 0275-7982/doi:10.1108/S0275-7982(2011)0000006004

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