Africa and Press Freedom Where access to information can mean living or dying.

Africa and Press FreedomWhere access to information can mean living or dying.

Colonialism to war lords, democracy, anarchy….

African countries

From more free than the U.S. to …Namibia—more free

Ghana—more free

Somalia—less free

Democratic Republic of Congo—now less free

What are the consequences of such a range of freedoms? How could one country affect another? Kenya—more free—shares a border with Somalia—very restrictive

External issues facing African media Lack of interest from the world—

despite a combined population of almost 1 billion with natural resources of gold, oil, diamonds, etc.

War, poverty, disease tend to take the headlines--gang reporting

Focus shifts quickly when a new war, famine, disease spreads

One bureau—often located in Johannesburg, South Africa is the only outpost of Western media in Africa. Leads to parachute reporting

Coverage is too often “superficial and cliched” in the words of Laura Pawson, who worked as the BBC’s Angola correspondent in the 1990s.

Internal issues facing Africa’s press Each country has a different

set of laws governing the media—ranging from South Africa with its Western-style media to Zimbabwe where broadcasters are state-controlled and reporters are jailed and harassed.

Use of “hate media” has forced discussion of how much control a government should have over media. In Rwanda, journalists have been found guilty of inciting violence.

While most countries have enshrined press freedom as a right in their constitutions—as well as signing on to the UN Charter—how press freedom is practiced is driven by social, cultural, and historical imperatives

Lack of funding for the press is a major issue with only a few countries such as Kenya and South Africa having a middle class that will support an advertising-based model of the press

Kenya—Moving toward a more democratic press

Kenyan press freedom…or? President Mwai Kibaki refused to

sign media legislation that included a requirement for journalists to name their sources

Onerous media legislation has been voted against…

Kibaki appears to support a more open media system with few controls by gov’t.

But following his election there was a media blackout ostensibly to keep election violence from getting out of control—but news got out through SMS messages

But jail sentences and fines still remain for defamation

But the government told public sector groups not to advertise in the papers of the Standard Group. This followed stories that a government minister had had discussion with Armenian crime syndicates to have the former president’s son murdered

Somalia—from international news story to deadliest place for journalists outside Iraq

Somalia—press battlegroundSeven journalists killed in 2008, second only to

Iraq

Journalists die in crossfire covering the fighting, but also are targeted specifically by the various factions

60 journalists arrested, many with no formal charges

Often are subject of attacks after reporting on human rights abuses on both sides of the conflict

Somalia—can anarchy uphold press freedom? No effective government

sinc 1991—ruled by transitional government backed by Ethiopia—but the capital and country often raided by Islamic militants and various militias

Declaration of martial law has caused the shutdown of numerous television and radio stations

Journalists often caught in the crossfire between militant groups. Also have been kidnapped and held for ransom

Stations were allowed to start broadcasting again…if they would “protect national security interests and to cooperate with the government.”

Al-Jazeera has been targeted, told to shut down not long after it had requested a debate between a person who was against Ethiopia’s intervention and the chairman of the ousted Islamic group that had held sway in Mogadishu.

The impact of Somalia in America

But Somalia—and by extension Africa—is the place that needs an independent press The competing interests in

the region make it difficult to make sense of—who is right, who is wrong?

Access to independent, neutral information could help Somalis determine what government would be good for them.

Access to information can help get drugs, food, and clean water to people

But in 2007, RSF painted a dismal picture of Africa. Even countries that had been models of press freedom have backed away from support of an independent media.

The idea of an independent media as benefit may be slipping away as leaders see advantage in controlling the press.

Sources International Press Institute

http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom.html?country=/KW0001/KW0006/

Committee to Protect Journalists http://www.cpj.org/2008/02/attacks-on-the-press-2007-somalia.php

Embedding Outside of War Can journalists be too dependent on aid organizations or

any sources for their stories? Keep this in mind when we hear from our guest speaker Tom Clynes.

Embedding with non-governmental organizations? Just as problematic as embedding with the military?

What about when we go to Africa because Mia Farrow or Angelina Jolie or Oprah make stops on the continent?

Do we tell too many horror stories?

Whose story really matters?

And where are the stories told by African journalists?

Forced BusingApartheid’s long tail

What are the compelling images Lelyveld “paints” for us in “Forced Busing?”

Why is important for a white American to write about South Africa—when as he writes “how could he know what it is like to be a black” living in South Africa?

Media Journal for Next WeekChoose a story about Africa

from your own media or any media.

Discuss what drew you to the story

Why do you think the media were interested in covering the story?

Afghanistan ProjectMonday—discuss more in-depth “The

Graveyard of the Empires.”

What else should we be covering in the blog?

Afghan civilians, the military, women in the military, soldiers at home.--what’s missing? Consider the reading and define what may be other areas for April’s bloggers to consider.

The final question

Is access to information a basic human right? (particularly in a region where information

can keep you safe and keep you alive)