MRCG PARTICIPATES IN MFWA'S TWO-DAY REGIONAL FORUM ON MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN GHANA
Representatives of national media and civil society organisations have taken part in a two-day regional forum on Media Freedom and Democratic Governance held at the Asante Hall, Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The forum was organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with funding support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), National Coordinator, Dr Francis Sowa, took part in the forum.
The MFWA's Executive Director, Suleman Braimah, spoke about the deteriorating press freedom conditions in many West African States. He said even countries that were doing well in press freedom were beginning to perform poorly in terms of press freedom indicators.
During the sessions participants explained steps taken to address issues of press freedom violations in their respective countries.
In the case of Sierra Leone, Dr Sowa spoke about the repeal of the criminal libel law by the government through intense advocacy from the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and other partners, and the support and direction of the Ministry of Information and Communication. He highlighted, among other things, the safety of media practitioners, lack of partnerships and poor investment in the media landscape as some of the key issues affecting the journalism profession in Sierra Leone and West Africa.
He said there had been complaints of acts of intimidation and harassment of journalists by some politicians who were reportedly used by some State security personnel to muzzle media practitioners. "In Sierra Leone, the usual saying was "orders from above" which some state security personnel used to deal with critical media practitioners, Dr Sowa stated.
He continued that the country is making progress on press freedom with the help of the MRCG and other media organizations, but more needs to be done to ensure the safety and security of journalists.
He ended by calling on the MFWA and other national media organizations in West Africa to have collaborative efforts to fight for press freedom.
The topics discussed at the forum were: Media Freedom and Democratic Governance in West Africa; the Media's Role in Democratic Governance in West Africa- Challenges and Prospects; ECOWAS Protocols/Policies/Frameworks on Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression in West Africa: Gaps and Prospects; and Working with ECOWAS to Strengthen Press Freedom, Media Development and Democratic Governance in West Africa: Key Strategies.
The participants supported the need for a coalition to engage ECOWAS on issues of press freedom and democratic governance. They developed an ECOWAS engagement Action Plan.