Media Laws

Newsletter n°11/16.04.08
UNESCO Report Uncovers Flawed Legal Systems Across Africa
Professor Guy Berger gave RAP 21 an inside look at the recent United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) publication he spearheaded, Media Legislation in Africa, A Comparative legal Survey. Berger discussed how the report’s findings on inadequate legal systems could be used and disseminated to push Africa into the vanguard of media law reform.

Newsletter n°7/14.03.08
Media Law in Somalia Flouts International Press Freedom Standards
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) issued a report on 12 March 2008, which declared the country’s new Media Law (passed 8 December 2007 by the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia) short of meeting “international standards and principles of democratic media law.” The law, the second of its kind since the military government collapsed in 1991, is less severe than its antecedent. However, the report indicates at least 17 articles that lack clarity and predictability. Above all, the Media Law strays shy of fully encouraging a vibrant and open press.

Newsletter n°5/06.02.08
Live Broadcasting Ban Lifted in Kenya
On 4 February, the Kenyan government lifted the month-long ban on live broadcasting ahead of court hearings officially because of an "improvement in the situation." However, Information Minister Samuel Poghisio warned the media against "inflammatory content" and confirmed the setting up of a media task force.

Newsletter n°2/17.01.08
Draft Media Law in Somalia Clouded By Constrained Regulatory Framework
The draft Somali Media Law has been assessed by international observers as not being a sufficient first step in securing a freer media in Somalia. The Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic (TFP) approved the draft Law on 1 December 2007 after a preliminary reading.

Newsletter n° 27
Prison Sentence Could Put an End to Moroccan newspaper
"If I have to serve my prison sentence it might be the end of the newspaper," says Mustapha Kechnini, director of the Moroccan weekly newspaper "Al Hayat al Maghribia" (circulation 6,000) which is published in the northeast town of Oujda. Kechnini was sentenced to one year in prison on 4 August for "incitement to violence" for the newspaper’s publication of a statement by an Islamist.

Newsletter n° 27
Newspapers to Get Royalties from Radio in Ghana
Radio stations in Ghana may soon be required to pay royalties for the use of newspaper material in their programmes. This governmental proposal has been greatly anticipated by newspapers from around the country, as many newspapers attribute revenue loss to these types of radio programmes. Due to these programmes, people receive for free what they would otherwise have to pay for from the news stands. Not all members of the media, however, are in agreement with the proposal.

Newsletter n° 23/
02.07.2003
Civil defamation in Zambia: "The sky is the limit"
Zambian journalists have long struggled to operate under existing criminal defamation laws. Despite an active media, Section 69 of the county’s penal code is still wielded against journalists for publishing any articles perceived to "defame the president".

Newsletter n° 23/
02.07.2003
Insult laws: the Divine Right of Kings
What are insult laws? Insult laws prohibit criticism of public officials (like the President), government offices, national institutions, or the state itself. Essentially, any statement that insults the honour or dignity of these people or institutions is punishable. Insult laws can effectively elevate public officials above the reach of media scrutiny and shield important, controversial government actions and policies from public debate.

Newsletter n° 24/
10.07.2003
Defamation and insult laws outside Africa
To give an idea of what media laws look like in countries outside Africa, RAP 21 has compiled a presentation of four countries and their way of dealing with defamation and insult laws.

Newsletter n° 24/
10.07.2003
First time attack on business side of newspaper in Zimbabwe
For the first time ever in Zimbabwe, the business side of a newspaper has been charged for material published in the paper. The case could set a dangerous precedent if it makes it to trial.

Newsletter n° 22/
26.06.2003
What are defamation laws?
n legal terms, defamation means accusing a person of something that harms his or her reputation. Defamation, when published, is called libel. Pictures can also be libellous. Defamation laws allow people to sue those who publish material that harms their reputation. The original idea of defamation laws is to protect people against unfair attack. But today, governments worldwide abuse these laws, thus restricting freedom of speech.

Newsletter n° 22/
26.06.2003
New Ethiopian press law does not improve situation for journalists
In January 2003, the Ethiopian Ministry of Information introduced a new draft press law that continues to criminalize press offences. Even if the government claims the new law is designed to "encourage constructive and responsible journalism", there are concerns it may halt the small progress in press freedom that the country has only recently seen.