Article 14 of Algeria's Information Act (no. 90-07 of April 3, 1990) provides for the freedom of all periodical publications. The abolition of the State's monopoly on print media brought in its wake a proliferation of publications. Several publications, however, are subject to the influence of political and business interests, which subverts their editorial independence. Furthermore, the State monopoly in the audio-visual sector continues to remain in force, after timid signs of opening up in 1990 and later in 1997. Although the absence of pluralism at the national level is compensated for...
IPDC Project scope: National
Cambodia is still suffering from the effects of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s and the ensuing years of civil strife. The legacy of these historical factors is manifold, but two major effects are the prevalence of a voiceless and fragmented civil society, unable or unwilling to speak up about basic rights, and the continuation of repressive or corrupt state systems. This is particularly noticeable in the constraints placed upon freedom of expression and media plurality in Cambodia. The adoption of the new penal code in 2010 potentially limits freedom of expression and...
Community broadcasting is one of the defining features of a plural and diverse media landscape. Among the characteristics of community radios are that they are owned and managed by communities; carry community-oriented programming; pursue a social development agenda; and use participatory methods in their activities. From different parts of the world, reports attest that community radio gives access and voice to marginalized peoples; empowers them to improve their lives and immediate environment; helps build capacities of societies to hold leaders accountable; helps to tackle poverty,...
For a long time, the Mauritanian audio-visual sector was dominated by the two state-run media outlets - Radio Mauritanie and Télévision de Mauritanie, but with the July 2010 adoption by the National Assembly of a draft bill on the liberalisation of the audio-visual sector, the media landscape has begun to change. However, despite a rather favourable environment, the Mauritanian media is unable to take full advantage of the available opportunities due to a lack of specialist and quality training for media professionals. Mauritania's first journalism school is still in the design phase, and...
As the illiteracy rate in the rural areas is still high, radio is the most commonly used medium of the rural people in Cambodia to receive information, with almost every family in the provinces owning a radio set. Although provincial radio stations do exist in more than 10 provinces in Cambodia, most of their programming content is relayed from the Radio Nationale Kampuchea (RNK) in Phnom Penh. Therefore, the majority of programmes do not serve the specific requirements of the community people since the information needs of provincial people are different, not least in geographical terms....
2012 is an election year in post-conflict Sierra Leone. Given the deep scars of the past, peace is fragile and the electoral period could see a relapse into violence if, inter alia, the people feel disenfranchised in any way. Access to credible and objective information is crucial. The country’s fledgling democracy still lacks the maturity to handle political tolerance there is therefore the need for a sustained media campaign. The media landscape is generally free as there is no blatant government interference, however a number of the media outlets, particularly the print media, are...
Local Palestinian journalists have struggled to respond to threats to their personal safety and journalistic integrity. The Palestinian media sphere, which has long since been dominated by partisan control and self-censorship, has become further politically polarized and driven by factions, rather than citizens’ concerns. According to Ma'an’s 2011 survey, 39% of Palestinians felt that local media negatively impacts the Palestinian internal division. At the same time, Palestinian journalists committed to independent, non-partisan coverage feel under siege from all sides, as investigative...
The development of the radio sector in Lao PDR is slow, especially in the northern, mountainous part of the country where radio signal cannot reach many communities. Like the rest of the country’s media sector, Lao National Radio lacks the equipment for developing radio networks. Its capacity needs to be enhanced if it is to compete with international broadcasters and growing new media.
Nearly 44 percent of the country’s total population (6.3 million) is regarded as a member of various minority ethnic groups. Xiengkho District, one of the 47 poorest districts of Laos, has...
The Djiboutian media landscape comprises both print and electronic media outlets, but no daily newspapers are published in the country. The Djibouti Radio and Television Broadcasting Service (RTD) is the only state-run radio outlet, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Communication. The RTD operates 2 FM stations and 2 AM stations. Djibouti has no formal structures which provide training in the fields of communication and journalism. In July and August 2011, a UNESCO mission conducted an on-site survey to assess needs in the area of journalism training. The...
In the demanding regional context of the Middle East, popular movements against authoritative regimes have been empowered by media. Within the specific context of Palestine, an urgent need exists for an independent voice represented by a professional media outlet, however at present, Palestinians are faced with the difficult choice of watching partisan local news on TV which is either government affiliated or linked to the Hamas Movement. In both cases, viewers are often faced by advertising slogans, biased viewpoints and attitudes, and party politics. Wattan TV, on the other hand, has...
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