Muriel Ano: “Co-regulation should complement self-regulation, not replace it”

The Secretary General of the Belgian Press Council (CDJ), Muriel Ano, has extensive practical experience in the field of media regulation and self-regulation. She previously worked for the Belgian state regulator (CSA), where, among other things, she headed its co-regulatory body (Collège d’Avis or Advisory Board). Muriel Ano knows a lot about its history and functioning. Currently, the expert heads a journalistic self-regulation body and studies in detail the mechanisms of interaction between the co-regulation system, of which the CDJ is a part, and the media sector.

Ano told the Ukrainian Journalists’ Ethics Commission about where the line between self- and co-regulation is drawn in Belgium, how new technologies affect this interaction, whether journalistic content is subject to co-regulation, and the risk of duplication of powers and actions between different bodies.

The conversation took place in the CDJ office, located in the business district of Brussels in the same building as the International and European Federations of Journalists. On the bookshelf in Ano’s office, you can see the report titled The Relationship between Self-Regulation and Regulation in the Field of Information and Journalism. This is a European comparative study edited by Muriel Ano and Alejandra Michel, published in 2023.

Before talking about the Belgian experience, the head of the Press Council asks in detail about the co-regulation system in Ukrainian media, about who is part of the co-regulatory bodies and how their work is organized. Ukrainian co-regulation is still new and little known to European researchers.

Despite the challenges, co-regulation offers valuable opportunities. It provides a platform for dialogue, allowing stakeholders to collectively define standards that reflect the realities of the media landscape. It also fosters a sense of shared responsibility, encouraging compliance and reducing the need for top-down enforcement.

At the same time, it requires careful planning and clear boundaries. Co-regulation should complement self-regulation, not replace it. Such a balance ensures that journalistic freedom is preserved while at the same time contributing to increased accountability in the media sector.

The material was prepared by the Journalists’ Ethics Commission with the support of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) within the framework of the Media in Emergencies project, funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The European Union and the EACEA are not responsible for the content of the material.

Interview and photo by

NUJU First Secretary/Journalist Ethics Commission member

Lina Kushch