Govts reminded of obligations towards journalism
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
Governments – some of whom are hiding behind the blanket cover of Covid-19 to stifle the work of journalists – have been warned against reversing the gains made as a result of the adoption of the historic Windhoek Declaration.
This was made clear at the closing of the five-day international conference on World Press Freedom Day held in Windhoek, which also marked the 30-year anniversary of the declaration, which was signed in the Namibian capital in 1991.
Held in joint collaboration with Unesco and the Namibian government, this year’s celebrations ended with a new set of resolutions - dubbed the ‘Windhoek+30 Declaration’ - which global media hope will be adopted successfully with the help of the world’s governments.
Governments have been implored to commit to creating a positive enabling environment for freedom of expression and access to information - online and offline - in line with international guarantees of these rights, including a free, independent and pluralistic media, through adopting appropriate legal measures in a transparent manner.
This, the participants demanded, must follow adequate public consultation, guaranteeing the exercise of journalism free of governmental interference whether formal or informal, promoting universal access to the internet, and taking measures to reinforce the safety of journalists, with a specific focus on women journalists.
Governments were also told to take effective steps to nurture a diversity of viable public, private and community media, and implement specific policies, along with relevant safeguards, to promote the production of independent, quality journalism.
Invest in journalism
The Windhoek conference also implored governments to ensure that flows of funding from public sources to the media, including subsidies and advertising, are allocated fairly and overseen in an independent, transparent and manner; and guarantee investment in journalism and jobs, with respect for gender equality and decent working conditions.
Governments must also mainstream media and information literacy into strategies and action plans in order to build the resilience of citizens to misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, and promote civic participation in democratic life, the conference resolved.
Held under the theme ‘Information as a Public Good’, the global event exhausted critical topics such as media viability, with calls for urgent interventions to ensure the survival of the traditional media, without which the existence of democracy itself and freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed.
Technology companies called to the party
Multinational technology companies were also urged to ensure transparency in relation to their human and automated systems which could impact user interaction with content, as well as their terms and conditions of service.
They must also provide robust notice and appeals opportunities to users, process complaints and redress requests from users in a fair manner, and take action whenever their terms and conditions of service are breached, participants agitated.
They must further conduct transparent human rights risk assessments, including identifying threats to freedom of expression, access to information and privacy, take appropriate action to eliminate or mitigate those threats, and disclose the impact of those actions.
WINDHOEK
Governments – some of whom are hiding behind the blanket cover of Covid-19 to stifle the work of journalists – have been warned against reversing the gains made as a result of the adoption of the historic Windhoek Declaration.
This was made clear at the closing of the five-day international conference on World Press Freedom Day held in Windhoek, which also marked the 30-year anniversary of the declaration, which was signed in the Namibian capital in 1991.
Held in joint collaboration with Unesco and the Namibian government, this year’s celebrations ended with a new set of resolutions - dubbed the ‘Windhoek+30 Declaration’ - which global media hope will be adopted successfully with the help of the world’s governments.
Governments have been implored to commit to creating a positive enabling environment for freedom of expression and access to information - online and offline - in line with international guarantees of these rights, including a free, independent and pluralistic media, through adopting appropriate legal measures in a transparent manner.
This, the participants demanded, must follow adequate public consultation, guaranteeing the exercise of journalism free of governmental interference whether formal or informal, promoting universal access to the internet, and taking measures to reinforce the safety of journalists, with a specific focus on women journalists.
Governments were also told to take effective steps to nurture a diversity of viable public, private and community media, and implement specific policies, along with relevant safeguards, to promote the production of independent, quality journalism.
Invest in journalism
The Windhoek conference also implored governments to ensure that flows of funding from public sources to the media, including subsidies and advertising, are allocated fairly and overseen in an independent, transparent and manner; and guarantee investment in journalism and jobs, with respect for gender equality and decent working conditions.
Governments must also mainstream media and information literacy into strategies and action plans in order to build the resilience of citizens to misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, and promote civic participation in democratic life, the conference resolved.
Held under the theme ‘Information as a Public Good’, the global event exhausted critical topics such as media viability, with calls for urgent interventions to ensure the survival of the traditional media, without which the existence of democracy itself and freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed.
Technology companies called to the party
Multinational technology companies were also urged to ensure transparency in relation to their human and automated systems which could impact user interaction with content, as well as their terms and conditions of service.
They must also provide robust notice and appeals opportunities to users, process complaints and redress requests from users in a fair manner, and take action whenever their terms and conditions of service are breached, participants agitated.
They must further conduct transparent human rights risk assessments, including identifying threats to freedom of expression, access to information and privacy, take appropriate action to eliminate or mitigate those threats, and disclose the impact of those actions.
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