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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in corrupti<strong>on</strong>. The internati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
community is increasingly<br />
tuned in to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> importance of<br />
journalism as a way to guarantee<br />
transparency in business,<br />
politics and development aid<br />
distributi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The main reas<strong>on</strong> for optimism is<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> strength of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> journalists<br />
who see corrupti<strong>on</strong> as <strong>on</strong>e facet<br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> news that must be reported<br />
as it happens, every day.<br />
Despite a lack of political will<br />
in many countries to seriously<br />
tackle corrupti<strong>on</strong>, and despite<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prosecuti<strong>on</strong>s, attacks and<br />
harassment of media and reporters,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are still journalists<br />
willing to dig deeper and reveal<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> truth.<br />
Before his untimely death earlier<br />
this year in a car accident,<br />
Camero<strong>on</strong>ian journalist Pius<br />
Njawe, who had been arrested<br />
126 times and impris<strong>on</strong>ed three<br />
times, said: “A word can be more<br />
powerful that a weap<strong>on</strong> and<br />
I believe that with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> word …<br />
we can build a better world and<br />
make happier people. So, why<br />
give up while duty still calls?<br />
No <strong>on</strong>e will silence me, except<br />
The Lord, before I achieve what<br />
I c<strong>on</strong>sider as a missi<strong>on</strong> in my<br />
native country, in Africa and,<br />
why not, in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world.”<br />
Secti<strong>on</strong> 1: Freedom<br />
Putting more emphasis <strong>on</strong><br />
policy and pluralism<br />
By Jane Duncan<br />
Professor Jane Duncan is Highway<br />
Africa Chair of Informati<strong>on</strong> Society,<br />
at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> School of Journalism and<br />
Media Studies, Rhodes University,<br />
South Africa. She was formerly <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
executive director of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Freedom of<br />
Ex<strong>press</strong>i<strong>on</strong> Institute in Johannesburg.<br />
Since 1991, <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 />
has become <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> yardstick to<br />
measure transformati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> African<br />
<strong>press</strong> from a state-c<strong>on</strong>trolled<br />
to an independent sector. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Twenty</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>years</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>, <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> remains<br />
relevant, in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> light of set-backs<br />
over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past decade.<br />
The moral of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> story is that unless<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> media pull out all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> stops<br />
to secure c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s for media<br />
<strong>freedom</strong> in times of ‘peace’ between<br />
governments and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> media, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
may find <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves with very little<br />
leverage if hostilities break out<br />
between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> two parties. The media<br />
must not simply trust government’s<br />
promises that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y will maintain<br />
media <strong>freedom</strong>; <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y must ensure<br />
that policies and structures are<br />
put in place to guarantee media<br />
<strong>freedom</strong> going into <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> future.<br />
Where c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>al reform is<br />
possible, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n <strong>freedom</strong> of ex<strong>press</strong>i<strong>on</strong><br />
and access to informati<strong>on</strong> should<br />
be guaranteed as stand-al<strong>on</strong>e<br />
rights, with media <strong>freedom</strong> being<br />
given special emphasis. These<br />
c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>al rights should be<br />
codified into legislati<strong>on</strong>, and existing<br />
censorship legislati<strong>on</strong> should be<br />
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