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State of the media
Written press
There are dozens of daily newspapers and weeklies, but these actually constitute photocopied A4-size eight-page newsletters with circulations below 2,000 copies. In
Audiovisual media
There are a number of television broadcasters in
The single most important medium is radio. The number of stations – often low-grade – is bewildering. The radio landscape is in constant development as stations are closed and new stations open. The leading Somali radio stations are Radio HornAfrik, the first independent broadcaster in
Online media
News agencies
There are two news agencies in
Media organizations
The National Union of Somali Journalists was established in 2002 when a draconian media law was submitted to the former transitional national assembly (TNA) by the former transnational national government (TNG). The NUSOJ is a non-profit, non-governmental, journalists’ network established to deal with the protection and promotion of Somali journalists. In 2005 NUSOJ received the Reporters Without Borders - International Press Freedom Defender Award. On
There are several other organizations working in the field of journalism and media: the Somalia Independent Newspapers Association (SOINA), Somali Women Journalists Association (SOWJA), and Somali Women’s Press Association (SOWPA)
A number of organizations work in the field of human rights protection: the Somali Human Rights Defenders, the Peace Line Coalition of Grassroots Women’s Organizations (COGWO), the Somali Law Society, and the Centre for Research and Dialogue
Media policies
Somali journalists operate in a climate of lawlessness. Although the various authorities have promulgated laws on press freedom, they often lack the sovereignty to enforce these laws or choose not to. Militias and armed groups of businessmen often harass or even kill journalists without being persecuted by the authorities. Legislation adopted by the Transitional Federal Government provides for freedom of speech and of the press but also requires all media outlets to register with the Ministry of Information and imposes penalties for false reporting. In October 2002 a draconian press law was submitted but after fierce opposition of journalists the law was abandoned. Currently there is a new draft media law that sets out a regulatory regime for all journalists and media professionals. The preamble of the draft states that journalism and the media must be regulated by law to ensure that they do not “breach the rights citizens, institutions and the government”. The preamble then moves on to declare that “falsehood, groundless propaganda and distorting reality create vehemence, conflict, destruction and hatred, but what we need at this time is security, order, appreciation, justice, construction and living together in peace.” Article 19 argues that the law “imposes a straitjacket for the regulation of all journalistic and media activity” and submits that “the restrictions it [sc. the draft law] imposes on all journalists, in apparent pursuit of protecting the public’s right to receive high quality information, go far beyond what is allowed under international law and will likely end up impeding rather than promoting a free media.
In the two break-away regions of Puntland and
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