Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

that nourish journalism are not
ends in <strong>the</strong>mselves, but essentials
for <strong>the</strong> quality of democracy and
development in Africa. <strong>Windhoek</strong>
has meant historic movement
beyond <strong>the</strong> previous commandist
situation to an acceptance that a
mediascape monopolised by stateowned
and government-controlled
enterprises does not provide for
society’s needs. There has been
extensive rise of commercial-private,
and to an extent of communitybased,
media platforms since 1991.
But this wonderful progress should
not blind us to <strong>the</strong> data which show
that <strong>the</strong> contextual environment
for journalism has taken a turn for
<strong>the</strong> worse since 2000. More effort
is <strong>the</strong>refore needed to establish
and maintain enduring systems for
journalism to thrive. But if it is a case
of two steps forward and one back,
at least we are still facing forwards
as regards journalism, and have not
turned around to face backwards.
Still, <strong>Windhoek</strong>’s standards as
elaborated in this report are thus
as important today as ever, in terms
of specifying <strong>the</strong> relevant goals to
be achieved. Energies are needed
to advance <strong>the</strong>se across context,
capital, capacity and knowledge.
And this momentum is necessary
in <strong>the</strong> face of both <strong>the</strong> ongoing
challenges and <strong>the</strong> newly emerging
new ones such as <strong>the</strong> issues of
Internet freedom, regulation, access
and ethics.
It is likely that <strong>the</strong> dissemination
and uptake of new communications
technologies will become a
strong factor in favour of helping
to actualise <strong>the</strong> vision of <strong>Windhoek</strong>.
More and more direct stakeholders
will enter <strong>the</strong> mass communications
environment and find common
ground with <strong>the</strong> cause of traditional
journalists. However, within
this scenario of increasing numbers
of voices from non-media sources
beginning to use new technologies,
Overview
Namibia: recording stories for prosperity. Photo: Kiiru Ngotho, Myndz
Community
it is highly important to ensure
<strong>the</strong> health and distinctive communication
of <strong>the</strong> news media
(including online news media) and
<strong>the</strong> professional journalists working
<strong>the</strong>re.
To illustrate this point, it can be
noted that in Zimbabwe, where
independent media has been decimated
since 1991, <strong>the</strong>re was only
1 journalist to 34,404 residents in
2006, compared to 1 to 11,155 in
Kenya. In more liberalised Nigeria,
<strong>the</strong> figure was 1 journalist to 4,290
citizens. 117 There are likely to be differences
in <strong>the</strong> definitions of journalist
in <strong>the</strong>se statistics, and data
are not always easy to come by.
But <strong>the</strong> point is that even looking
ahead, <strong>the</strong> ratio of fulltime journalists
to <strong>the</strong> population will continue
to be a vivid way to highlight <strong>the</strong>
entirely unique communications
contribution that comes from professional
journalists with a base in
free, viable and independent media
institutions.
In conclusion, <strong>the</strong> original focus of
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> not only
endures, but also helps to keep us
focused on <strong>the</strong> importance of context,
capital, capacity and knowledge
for specifically journalistic
communication, as distinct from
personal news or propaganda from
political or commercial quarters.
As <strong>the</strong> original document itself
stated: “The establishment, maintenance
and fostering of an independent,
pluralistic and free press
is essential to <strong>the</strong> development and
maintenance of democracy in a
nation and for economic development.”
This ideal continues to be
valid and relevant. Even 20 <strong>years</strong> <strong>after</strong>
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> was developed,
<strong>the</strong> document remains a living reason
why conducive conditions for
journalism in Africa should continue
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