Government Can’t Impose On Media

NAMIBIA’S Information Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, yesterday said that Government would soon start working on plans to implement a regulatory body for the media in Namibia.

This action will be roundly condemned by this newspaper, and, we believe, is a sentiment shared by the majority of media in this country. Said the Minister at a function in the capital yesterday: “Ever since I took over at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, I have been calling on the media to get their house in order and to get a media council or media mediator off the ground to accommodate complaints from the public.The argument that laws are in place to deal with media transgressions do not hold water, simply because the process of going to court is expensive, tedious and it takes too long.”Unfortunately, the media has been dragging its feet on this very important issue.I am glad to inform you that the Government, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will start working on the matter to assist the media to provide quality services to the Namibian people.The input from the media institutions will be sought, but Government will have to finalise the process as you have let your time pass without doing what was expected.”We reiterate the unacceptability of such a plan, and our stance will surely be followed by similar statements of rejection from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa Namibia) and the Namibia Editors’ Forum (NEF).The Namibian and other media are surely aware of the SADC Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport which calls on governments to create the environment to ensure that ethics and self-regulation are put in place by and for the media.The Namibian adheres to a Code of Ethics, which it has even inserted in our newspaper to contribute to public awareness on this matter.The issue of self-regulation continues to be a bone of contention as there is not widespread agreement in the media on this point.However, Namibian media have ‘been there, done that’ in the past, but the media council put in place yesteryear was a virtual white elephant; and a subsequent effort to have a press ombudsman in place, also attracted little public attention.Nevertheless, the media continue to debate these issues and address public complaints in other ways, such as right of reply, letters to the editor and our text-messaging service which has been extremely popular with the country at large.Ndaitwah continued to say that “The pen is mightier than the sword and the media has the power to contribute to our nation building and socio-economic development.This new calendar year is still young and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the media to play their indispensable role in the protection of our peace, stability and security and the development of our nation.”I do not need to tell you how to do your job, because you are the experts when it comes to media issues.I do, however, want to remind you of the nation’s priorities and urge you to do your part to promote them.As a nation we are seized with addressing poverty and unemployment; tackling the HIV-AIDS pandemic; reforming the education sector; accelerating rural development to reduce poverty; providing social and economic amenities; addressing the need of vulnerable members of the Namibian society; the economic empowerment of previously disadvantaged Namibians; and improving the economic performance of the country through trade, industrialisation, manufacturing and the promotion of small and medium enterprises.Gender mainstreaming also still continue to play a central role in the overall development in Namibia.”It is safe to say that the media is tasked with these and other issues not mentioned by the Minister, such as corruption and human rights, on a daily basis.Our public service role is central in the minds of those of us who consider the people first and foremost, and our vision and mission clearly spells this out.Through the respective fora of the Editors Forum and/or Misa Namibia, or through approaching individual media, the door is open for Government or any Minister to meet with us at any time and on any issue close to their hearts.However, we would warn against a government-imposed press council or regulatory body, simply because Swapo Congress resolutions have called for one.It will be rejected by the majority of media.Said the Minister at a function in the capital yesterday: “Ever since I took over at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, I have been calling on the media to get their house in order and to get a media council or media mediator off the ground to accommodate complaints from the public.The argument that laws are in place to deal with media transgressions do not hold water, simply because the process of going to court is expensive, tedious and it takes too long.”Unfortunately, the media has been dragging its feet on this very important issue.I am glad to inform you that the Government, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will start working on the matter to assist the media to provide quality services to the Namibian people.The input from the media institutions will be sought, but Government will have to finalise the process as you have let your time pass without doing what was expected.”We reiterate the unacceptability of such a plan, and our stance will surely be followed by similar statements of rejection from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa Namibia) and the Namibia Editors’ Forum (NEF).The Namibian and other media are surely aware of the SADC Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport which calls on governments to create the environment to ensure that ethics and self-regulation are put in place by and for the media.The Namibian adheres to a Code of Ethics, which it has even inserted in our newspaper to contribute to public awareness on this matter.The issue of self-regulation continues to be a bone of contention as there is not widespread agreement in the media on this point.However, Namibian media have ‘been there, done that’ in the past, but the media council put in place yesteryear was a virtual white elephant; and a subsequent effort to have a press ombudsman in place, also attracted little public attention.Nevertheless, the media continue to debate these issues and address public complaints in other ways, such as right of reply, letters to the editor and our text-messaging service which has been extremely popular with the country at large.Ndaitwah continued to say that “The pen is mightier than the sword and the media has the power to contribute to our nation building and socio-economic development.This new calendar year is still young and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the media to play their indispensable role in the protection of our peace, stability and security and the development of our nation.”I do not need to tell you how to do your job, because you are the experts when it comes to media issues.I do, however, want to remind you of the nation’s priorities and urge you to do your part to promote them.As a nation we are seized with addressing poverty and unemployment; tackling the HIV-AIDS pandemic; reforming the education sector; accelerating rural development to reduce poverty; providing social and economic amenities; addressing the need of vulnerable members of the Namibian society; the economic empowerment of previously disadvantaged Namibians; and improving the economic performance of the country through trade, industrialisation, manufacturing and the promotion of small and medium enterprises.Gender mainstreaming also still continue to play a central role in the overall development in Namibia.”It is safe to say that the media is tasked with these and other issues not mentioned by the Minister, such as corruption and human rights, on a daily basis.Our public service role is central in the minds of those of us who consider the people first and foremost, and our vision and mission clearly spells this out.Through the respective fora of the Editors Forum and/or Misa Namibia, or through approaching individual media, the door is open for Government
or any Minister to meet with us at any time and on any issue close to their hearts.However, we would warn against a government-imposed press council or regulatory body, simply because Swapo Congress resolutions have called for one.It will be rejected by the majority of media.