Focus of the Week

Counting Stock on Press Freedom Day

Press freedom that is the extent to which journalists are free to report on events concerning government, business and/or political, social and economic groups’ activities, is part of the yardstick on which democracy is measured in many countries.

In 1991, UNESCO recommended that the United Nations General Assembly proclaim 3 May World Press Freedom Day. This special day was established by the United Nations on 20 December 1993, in order to remember and celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom.

Our main question on May 3, is what is the state of media in South Africa and the rest of the world? Media acts as a platform on which political economic, and social debates are staged. It is the freedom and the ability for the media to allow those debates to filter through and receive free participation from citizens with no fear when we begin to talk of a free press.

Obviously the establishment of several national and world bodies that has constantly contested governments throughout the world on the laws that impede the media. Also making continuous arguments for free press and free circulation of information has led to several inroads in better working conditions for journalists and freer media activities.

In South Africa since 1994 journalists and the media are better protected from violent attacks, intimidation and arrests and also from legal suits that where provided in the South African legal system. Several laws that worked against journalists have been struck off the statute books.

This however has not brought sufficient media freedom. In South Africa while state censorship on legal grounds and through violent attacks seem to be dying away, those in power still use informal means to censor journalists. Journalists who are critical of the ruling elite are often labeled “reactionaries or unpatriotic”, and this has also been extended to social activists whose views differs from those of the ruling elite.

In many countries the plight of journalists remains very bad. The media have been victims of politicians who in their quest to hold on to power have tried to deny critical or contesting voices that the press a gives platform to. As a result, journalists are harassed, arrested and killed in their line of duty.

The effect has been that it has been impossible for citizens of other countries to receive important information about those nations. Instead, what dominates the news from those countries where journalists are not practicing freely is news of their harassment.

Journalists from other countries where press is freer have also been subjected to harassment when visiting countries such as Zimbabwe. In many cases governments such as South Africa and several other Southern Africa governments have refused to intervene in the press freedom issues of that country, making them liable for failing to protect their own citizens and professionals.

Zimbabwe in the past few months has passed a number of laws that are aimed at silencing critical journalists and has actually implemented the laws with success. According to a Media Institute of Southern Africa report (MISA), there have been at least 400 media violations in eleven Southern Africa countries ranging from arrests, intimidation, assault, and several other forms of harassment. About 200 of the violations happened in Zimbabwe.

Business influence and group pressures also remain another impediment to the free flow of information. The choice on what gets to be reported and how is it reported is also of great concern. In South Africa the main stream media is often accused of ignoring the maginalized communities although the growing community radio sector, which seem to be changing the situation. The plight of journalists also remains critical in countries where there are political conflicts for example in the Republic of Congo, Angola, Madagascar and the Middles East.

Weekly report

The Freedom of Expression Institute condemns the arrest of the three Zimbabwe journalists. According to reports in the Zimbabwean’s Mail and Guardian Andrew Meldrum for the Guardian newspaper in London and Collin Chiwanza and Lloyd Mudiwa of the Daily News were charged under the Access to Information

For further information please contact Freedom of Expression Institute Information and Communication Officer Scotch Tagwireyi Phone: 27 11 403 8403 Cell: 27 82 821 0756 Fax: 27 11 403 8309