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MEDIA: African Journalists Reject EU-sponsored Observatory

Julio Godoy*

BERLIN, Jul 27 2009 (IPS) - A project to create a Pan-African Media Observatory (PAMO), sponsored by the European Union in cooperation with the African union, has been rejected by numerous African journalist organisations.

In a joint declaration, thirty-two members and partners of the Canada-based International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), rejected the PAMO, arguing that, as it is presently conceived, it "cannot lead to… advancing media development in (the continent) and particularly in ensuring media freedom, independence and professionalism."

The declaration, whose signatories included media organisations from across Africa as well some African journalists in exile, was made in a letter addressed to Habiba Mejri-Cheikh, spokesperson for information and communication at the African Union Commission (AUC), and to Ian Barber, in charge of the Information and Communication at the European Commission (EC) Directorate General for Development and relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

Implement existing mechanisms instead

The African journalists reject the project saying that its framework is founded on erroneous premises, ignores the reality of media repression by states, as well as previous milestones in the history of African journalism. They argue it is likely to crowd out existing independent initiatives in the region.

The PAMO "would ultimately create further problems for the media and the right of African peoples to independent sources of news and information for personal, professional and political decision-making," the statement reads.

Instead of creating a new body, the journalists affirm that the objective of ensuring media freedom, independence, pluralism and professionalism would be more likely achieved through clear recognition and a more conscientious implementation and enforcement of existing commitments

They urge African leaders to "make a clear commitment to effectively implement relevant existing African instruments and principles, including the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press; the African Charter on Broadcasting; the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa; as well as the relevant provisions of international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."

The real issue for the vast majority of African media players, the journalists say, is how to overcome the over-bearing and pervasive influence of the state: a look at Africa's recent past quickly reveals that goverments consistently seek to control the media for propaganda purposes – usually to prevent any real public scrutiny and to implement their agenda of self-perpetuation in power.

Flawed approach

The Pan-African Media Observatory project was first considered during a joint meeting of the AU and the EC, which took place in September 2008 in the Burkinabé capital, Ouagadougou.

Following the debates at the meeting, Jean Ping, chair of the AU, and Louis Michel, European commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, formulated the principles and practical lines of action for the creation of the observatory.

According to the official joint statement by the African Union and European Union, "The short-term objectives (of the project) include the drafting of a charter laying down the rights and responsibilities of the media, the development, implementation and updating of a pan-African portal for all media, which could be used to draw up a state of play on what exists to date while constituting a local and international showcase shared by all the media in Africa."

The joint declaration of the African journalist associations recalls that in many parts of Africa, media enterprises are sometimes shut down by government or security agents while scores of journalists and media workers as well as other citizens are regularly forced into exile, assassinated, https://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=43480 and unfair trials and subjected to other forms of aggression for exercising their rights to free speech.

"This repression, more than anything else, undermines the ability and capacity of the media in the different countries to challenge established authority," the declaration says.

"Yet, the project document completely ignores this reality in outlining the context and background to the project. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Media Observatory project contains no concrete strategy for addressing this fundamental problem."

IPS contacted Bright Blewu, general secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association which is one of the signatories of the IFEX declaration. He said, "The PAMO project just looks like someone has just gotten up to promote an idea without consulting the stake-holders on the ground.

"The media climate in Africa is uneven and (it) would thus be difficult to know which standards are to be used," Blewu said. "The whole idea is a recipe for disjointed work and looks like an imposition."

Blewu complained that, "If you have not had any consultation, how would you set standards? If we are not careful, this would rather create further divisions on the continent. This is likely to be another of those media institutions to be used to siphon money from outside the continent."

Ghana has no "media observatory", Blewu pointed out, "but we do understand the concept which… entails a lot of work."

The Ethiopian National Journalists' Union was not a signatory of the IFEX declaration, but in an interview with IPS, ENJU president Anteneh Abraham supported the criticisms, referring specifically to the pervasive state influence upon and repression of the media.

"Though the initiative has good elements, it is fairly reasonable for us to be alarmed with the implications of some aspects of it (which) may lead to suppressing freedom of the press directly or indirectly," Abraham told IPS.

ENJU is concerned that given the track records of most African governments in relation to press freedom, some provisions of the PAMO, as presently conceived, "will embolden them to further suppress the media and harass journalists."

Abraham pointed out that the gravest concern stems from the phrase "the responsibilities of the media", used in the AU-EU formulation of project: "(This) is too broad to refer to issues of ethics and professionalism.

"Any provision that will open the door for further worsening of freedom of expression in Africa should be rejected. We suspect elements of the proposed PAMO may lead to that. Thus, we expect a serious consideration and revision in this regard," Anteneh said.

*Francis Kokutse in Accra and Omer Redi Ahmed in Addis Ababa contributed to this report.