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Week ending November 9, 2013

WAN-IFRA - World’s Press Urges Kenyan President to Halt Punitive Media Law - November 8, 2013
from Larry Kilman/WAN-IFRA

Legislation set to introduce severe financial penalties for breaching code of conduct; new law could gag press in the name of national security.

A proposed new media law in Kenya risks imposing severe financial sanctions against journalists, publishers and broadcasters for breaching a code of conduct, and could even bar journalists from working.

In a letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum urged the Kenyan leader to reject the new law and called on him to address mounting press freedom concerns during his speech Friday at the African Media Leaders Forum, currently taking place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

“We are seriously concerned that the proposed law could be used to gag the press under the pretext of protecting national security in the wake of the September attack on the Westgate shopping mall,’ said the letter from WAN-IFRA.

On 31 October, the Kenyan parliament voted to establish a Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal to draw up a code of conduct for the press.

The Tribunal would have the power to impose fines of up to 20 million Kenyan shillings (about US$234,000) on offenders, as well as prevent journalists from working.

The bill would also introduce strict controls on broadcasters, with radio and TV stations obliged to ensure that 45-percent of programme content and advertising is locally made.

As a member of the Pan-African Parliament, Kenya is signatory to the Midrand Declaration on Press Freedom in Africa which draws on a variety of African protocols, articles and declarations, including Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and WAN-IFRA’s Declaration of Table Mountain, which calls for greater press freedom in Africa.

WAN-IFRA called on the President to ensure Kenya’s laws “fully respect the letter and spirit of the Midrand Declaration and its other international obligations to freedom of expression.”

IPI, WAN-IFRA end four-day Ethiopia mission with joint call for release of imprisoned journalists - November 7, 2013
from Larry Kilman/WAN-IFRA

Two leading international media organisations today called for the unconditional release of imprisoned Ethiopian journalists and pledged to join forces to help improve the working and legislative environment for news media, during a joint press freedom mission to the country.

The International Press Institute (IPI) and World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) urged the government to release five journalists imprisoned under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, and to immediately review statutes that have also been used to convict opposition politicians.

The joint appeal from IPI and WAN-IFRA capped four days of discussions with journalists, lawyers, media executives and members of the Ethiopian government and the African Union ahead of the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) taking place in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

“Article 29 of Ethiopia’s constitution defends the right to free expression and exchange of information and we urge the government to make sure that it upholds these rights, ” Alison Bethel McKenzie, executive director of IPI said in Addis Ababa. “While we commend the government for its efforts in improving the lives of its people, we stand firm on the belief that a free press will not only contribute to these efforts, but are crucial for economic development and a democratic society. To that end, I implore the government to show its commitment to defend press freedom and release those journalists it has jailed without condition.”

She added that IPI and WAN-IFRA have committed to helping improve the professionalism, quality and independence of journalism in Ethiopia.

Tomas Brunegård, WAN-IFRA president, said: “Our organisations would like to see independent publishers cooperate to develop a strong publishers association that promotes self regulation and works together to create a vibrant and sustainable press.”

The IPI and WAN-IFRA team met with more than 25 editors, journalists, lawyers, politicians and bloggers as well as associates of the imprisoned journalists. The delegation also held meetings with the ambassadors of Austria and United States; a senior African Union official, an Ethiopian lawmaker; and Redwan Hussien, minister, Government Communication Affairs Office, who engaged in a frank, two-hour discussion with the delegation and the members of the African Media Initiative.

IPI and WAN-IFRA hope that the meeting with Hussein is the beginning of constructive dialogue on critical press freedom issues in Ethiopia.

Regrettably Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s office did not respond to repeated requests for a meeting. But in an address before delegates of the African Media Leaders’ Forum, Desalegn said his government has plans to increase the capacity of all elements of the media and are encouraging the media to establish its own self-regulatory mechanisms.

“There is always room for improvement and as a developing country, we are open to suggestions on improving our media industry,” said Desalegn, making no mention of the jailed journalists

IPI/WAN-IFRA also were not granted access to the imprisoned journalists.

The two organisations will produce a comprehensive mission report in the coming weeks.

In its preliminary recommendations, the organisations called for:

- The Ethiopian government to release all journalists convicted under the sedition provisions of the country’s 2009 anti-terrorism laws. These journalists include Solomon Kebede, Wubset Taye, Reyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega and Yusuf Getachew.

- Ethiopia’s often-fragmented and partisan newspapers to step up cooperation to improve professionalism and independence, and to form a unified front to defend press freedom.

- Publishers and editors should also increase cooperation to reduce expenses, including joint investment in media training, distribution and infrastructure. Such cooperation would foster a freer and more conducive environment for competition in news gathering and reporting.

In addition, IPI and WAN-IFRA agreed to help improve the quality of political reporting ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections in 2015 and urged donor organisations to follow suit. While the IPI/WAN-IFRA representatives saw a broad commitment among journalists to electoral coverage based on sound, in-depth reporting, there is concern about the current level of professionalism.

In addition to Bethel McKenzie and Brunegård, The IPI-WAN-IFRA delegation was comprised of Ferial Haffajee, editor-in-chief of City Press in South Africa; Kabiru Yusuf, chairman of Media Trust Ltd. in Nigeria; Alison Meston, press freedom director for WAN-IFRA; and Timothy Spence, IPI senior press freedom advisor for Africa and the Middle East.

IPI will head from Ethiopia to a fact-finding mission in Tanzania.