Clement Charles

I had the opportunity to attend the “Fight For Transparency” event at the Academy of Journalism and Media (AJM) of University of Neuchâtel. The content of the event was really great with high end speakers and very interesting debates. Overall, most of the speakers and the audience agreed the idea that more transparency the better and that transparency can improve democracies, but that such usage of transparency must be done in a deontological, ethical, and ideally transparent, framework in order to serve public goods without impairing personal and corporate privacy. I tweeted intensely during that even and wanted to share with you the most important element that I will personally retain of this day.

A mission for good 

“It is not a battle for transparency, but the combat against secrecy”Kristinn Hrafnsson, Wikileaks Spokeman. #transparency #ddj

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

“Concerned by the witch-hunt of whistleblowers. After wikileaks, it’s now happening to big media” Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Island, Pirate Party. — ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

“More transparency could have limited the financial crisis”. Birgitta Jónsdóttir from the Islandic Pirate Party.

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

Transparency, a daily battle

“Tools for opacity: secrecy, but also information overload by spin doctors and communication agency” François Pillet, Le Matin Dimanche.

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

“we are not here for the money, and our business model is survival”Kristinn Hrafnsson, Wikileaks Spokeman. #transparency #ddj

in CH transparency is legally compulsory. But govt can ask up to 280K to provide the data. A nice way to make it impossible. #transparency

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

“to be legitimate, secrecy must have a public benefit purpose. Time diminish the need for secrecy” Robert G. Picard #transparency #ddj — ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

Some traditional media are also against transparency. For various reasons.

“Wikileaks, the best new thing for journalism in decades, but also a threat to traditional journalism” Kristinn Hrafnsson #transparency #ddj

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

“Publishing stolen / hacked information is not serious journalism” Reiner Mittelbach. I don’t agree. Truth prevails from data protection.

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013

In the end, it is a question of data ownership. Again.

“in democracies, govt act as an agent of the public” R.G. Picard. My view: Yes. So, citizens actually owns this data and must access freely!

— ClementCharles (@ClementCharles) 24 mai 2013