Media's mediation: transforming the media from a destructive weapon to a constructive tool

The tension between mediators and journalists derives from the conflict between, on the one hand, the public's right to know and the basic right of freedom of speech, and, on the other, the confidentiality and privacy required by the mediation process. When these arguments are applied to the public sector, the assumption is that decision making by government and by government regulatory and administrative agencies becomes more honest and more responsive if carried on in full view of the citizenry.3 In addition, the community-both taxpayers and recipients of services-may have a direct interest in being fully informed about the public sector negotiation system, the parties' positions, and the results of the process. Based on the law, public sector employers are not allowed to increase wages or benefits to employees collectively or individually without the agreement of the Office of Wages and Labor, a division of the Finance Ministry that administrates and enforces the program of wage control.