Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
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Striving to become self sufficient<br />
By Jeanette Minnie<br />
Jeanette Minnie is a former director of<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Media Institute of Sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn Africa<br />
and today operates <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sultancy<br />
Zambezi FoX: Internati<strong>on</strong>al Freedom<br />
of Ex<strong>press</strong>i<strong>on</strong>.<br />
124 | Media in Africa - 2011<br />
In Africa, an essential strategy in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> promoti<strong>on</strong> of free and independent<br />
media is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> establishment<br />
of as many privately and<br />
community-owned media (i.e.<br />
n<strong>on</strong>-state media) as is possible<br />
and practical. The simple logic is<br />
that in circumstances where op<strong>press</strong>i<strong>on</strong><br />
of <strong>freedom</strong> of speech and<br />
ex<strong>press</strong>i<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tinues unabated,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> creati<strong>on</strong> of many media outlets<br />
eventually outstrips <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> capacity<br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state to close <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m<br />
down.<br />
This approach is also c<strong>on</strong>sistent<br />
with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> historic 1991 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>Windhoek</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> Promoting an<br />
Independent and Pluralistic African<br />
Press. At least four of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 10<br />
“Initiatives and Projects” identified<br />
in an Annex to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
directly refer to issues of financial<br />
sustainability of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>press</strong> and<br />
ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r three call for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> creati<strong>on</strong><br />
of nati<strong>on</strong>al and regi<strong>on</strong>al uni<strong>on</strong>s for<br />
publishers, editors and journalists.<br />
Naturally <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Windhoek</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Declarati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
also refers to important<br />
complementary strategies for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
promoti<strong>on</strong> of a free and independent<br />
media including <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> removal<br />
of anti-media <strong>freedom</strong> laws, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
safety and protecti<strong>on</strong> of journalists,<br />
and educati<strong>on</strong> in ethical journalism<br />
am<strong>on</strong>gst o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs.<br />
Despite <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> recommendati<strong>on</strong>s and<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> strategic nature of establishing<br />
n<strong>on</strong>-state media in Africa, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
establishment (and business development<br />
support) of such entities<br />
has been <strong>on</strong>e of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most neglected<br />
areas of media development from a<br />
funding and financing point of view.<br />
As an example, c<strong>on</strong>sider when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
existence of a tiny handful of surviving<br />
n<strong>on</strong>-state newspapers in Zimbabwe<br />
hung in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> balance in 2008<br />
during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> worst hyperinflati<strong>on</strong>ary<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world — coupled<br />
to some of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most op<strong>press</strong>ive media<br />
legislati<strong>on</strong> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world. Only a<br />
tiny handful of d<strong>on</strong>ors were willing<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>tribute modest funds to help<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m c<strong>on</strong>tinue publishing through<br />
ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r violent and c<strong>on</strong>troversial<br />
electi<strong>on</strong> during which open political<br />
debate hardly existed.<br />
The argument cited was that d<strong>on</strong>or<br />
aid could not be used in support<br />
of private enterprise. But those<br />
of us who believe that <strong>freedom</strong> of<br />
informati<strong>on</strong> is a fundamental human<br />
right also know that selling media is<br />
not <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> exactly same thing as selling<br />
shoe polish. Although some media<br />
may indeed fall into that category,<br />
most media carries c<strong>on</strong>tent that<br />
plays a role in developing and<br />
maintaining democracy.<br />
In countries where circumstances<br />
are not so dire, a lack of financial<br />
resources and media business skills<br />
means that media have too little<br />
reach to generate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> necessary<br />
critical mass of audience in order<br />
to hold governments to account for<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir policies and acti<strong>on</strong>s. Research<br />
c<strong>on</strong>ducted for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> African Media<br />
Initiative (AMI) in 2008 showed<br />
a severe shortage of available<br />
loan or equity capital at levels