Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

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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 Media in Africa - 2011 | 39
to be a continental priority. REFERENCES: Barratt, E. 2007. Part of <strong>the</strong> story. 10 <strong>years</strong> of <strong>the</strong> South African National Editors’ Forum. Johannesburg: Sanef. Beckett, C and Kyrke-Smith, L. 2007. Development, governance and <strong>the</strong> media: <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> media in building African society. London: Polis. 2007. Berger, G. 2006. From <strong>the</strong> margins to mainstream: African ICT reporting comes of age. Grahamstown, Rhodes University: Highway Africa. http:// highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/publications/files/Margins_ to_%20Mainstream_Web.pdf Berger, G. 2007. Media Legislation in Africa – a comparative legal survey. Paris: UNESCO, and Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies. Also online at: http://portal.unesco. org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1657&URL_DO=DO_ TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Berger, G. 2009. How to improve standards of journalism education. African Communication Research, 2 (2): 271-290 Berger, G and Barratt, E. 2007. (eds) Fifty Years of Journalism. African media since Ghana’s independence. Grahamstown: Highway Africa, The African Editors Forum and <strong>the</strong> Media Foundation West Africa. http://highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/ publications/files/50<strong>years</strong>.pdf Berger, G and Matras, C. 2006. Criteria and indicators for quality journalism training institutions & identifying potential centres of excellence in journalism training in Africa. Paris: UNESCO. www. unesco.org/webworld/en/african-journalismschools-report Bourgault, L M. 1995. Mass media in sub-Saharan Africa. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Colmery, B; Diaz, A; Gann, E; Heacock, R; Hulland, J and Kircher-Allen, E. 2010. There will be ink, A study of journalism training and <strong>the</strong> extractive industries in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda. New York: Columbia Business School. www2.gsb.columbia.edu/ipd/files/ ThereWillBeInk.pdf Eribo, F and Jong-Ebot, W. (eds). 1997. Press Freedom and Communication in Africa. Trenton, NJ and Asmara, Eritrea: Africa World Press. Frère, M-S. 2007. The media and conflicts in Central Africa. Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner. Gitahi, L. 2010. Peering into <strong>the</strong> ‘connected’ world: will you be <strong>the</strong>re? In Mdlongwa and Letlhaku (eds). 2010 40 | Media in Africa - 2011 Hamasaka, C. 2009. The impact of <strong>the</strong> broadcast legislative reforms on <strong>the</strong> newsroom staff’s perceptions of <strong>the</strong> Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)’s editorial operations and news content. MA <strong>the</strong>sis, Rhodes University. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/1736/ Hyden, G, Leslie, M and Ogundimu, F F. 2002. (eds) Media and Democracy in Africa. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet IREX. 2008. Media sustainability index 2006/7. Development of sustainable media in Africa. Washington DC: IREX. Kareithi, P and Kariithi, N. 2005. Untold Stories. Economics and business journalism in African media. Johannesburg: Wits University Press Karikari, K. 1996. Ethics in journalism. Paris: Institut Panos Kasoma, F. 1997. The Independent Press and Politics In Africa, unpublished and abridged version of a paper written for publication in <strong>the</strong> special GAZETTE issue on Africa edited by Cecil Blake April 1997. The Gazette version is in International Communication Gazette, 1997, 59: 295-310, Kotele, M. 2009. An investigation into <strong>the</strong> journalistic identities of news workers at <strong>the</strong> state-owned Lentsoe La Basotho/Lesotho Today newspaper. Unpublished MA <strong>the</strong>sis. Grahamstown: Rhodes University. Kumbula, T.S. 2007. Press freedom in Zimbabwe. Pp. 157- 184. In Eribo and Jong-Ebot (eds) 1997. Ledgard, J.M. 2011. Digital Africa. INTELLIGENT LIFE Magazine, Spring 2011, http://moreintelligentlife.com/ content/ideas/jm-ledgard/digital-africa?page=0%2CO Limpitlaw, J and KAS Media Africa. 2011. Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Africa Media Law Handbook. http://www.kas.de/medienafrika/en/publications/23503/ Loughran, G. 2010. Birth of a Nation. London: I B Tauris & Co. Lowe Morna, C and Ndlovu, S. Mirror on <strong>the</strong> media. Gender and tabloids in Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Africa. Johannesburg: Gender Links. Mdlongwa, F and Letlhaku, M (eds). 2010. Harnessing Africa’s Digital Future. Johannesburg: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Melzer, U. 2010. Insult laws: in contempt of justice. A guide to <strong>the</strong> evolution of insult laws in 2009. Paris: World Press Freedom Committee Mfumbusa, B.F. 2008. Newsroom ethics in Africa. African Communication Research, 1(1): 139-158. Montez, D. 2011. Just how digital are we? - <strong>the</strong> case of Africa. (Audiencescapes field blog). http://www. audiencescapes.org/just-how-digital-are-we-caseafrica-kenya-zimbabwe-world-press-freedom-day- UNESCO Mwesige, P. 2004. Disseminators, advocates and
Page 1 and 2: MEDIA IN AFRICA Twenty</str
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How we started The Observer By Jame
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Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

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