THE CONCEPT OF MEDIA-SELF REGULATION AS GOALKEEPER OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

The global landscape has changed. Beyond traditional actors of global politics - the states, we are now facing the fact that even a tiny piece of information on one side of the globe can seriously shake traditional structures of power. Traditional media outlets, once dominated by the official press, now coexist alongside citizen journalists, independent bloggers, and online-only news websites. In the digital age, the definition of a journalist become fluid. An enabling legal and regulatory environment is essential for guaranteeing freedom of expression and, in particular, media freedom. That is why the concept of media self-regulation has become even more popular than before; thus, however, there is an on going debate on whether it is enough and how it shall be modified and adapted to the new digital realm.