Yesterday, I was one of TopFM two guests for the HardTalk show hosted by Habib Mosaheb. The other guest was Yvan Martial, a well-known experienced journalist in Mauritius. The programme’s theme was ‘Is freedom of the press threatened in Mauritius?’.
Both Ivan and myself agreed that freedom of the press is not threatened in our island. In fact, our country is ranked 34th out of 167 countries in the 2005 Press Freedom Index of Reporters Sans Frontieres (we were ranked 46th in 2004) and we are 4th on the African continent. See www.rsf.org
As I pointed out in the show, politicians (specially when they are governing the country) tend to complain a lot about the alleged lack of responsibility of the local press. Their irritation at the press is for me a good sign, a sign that we are living in a true democracy. If they were in love with the press, then I would truly be worried!
However, this does not mean that we have a perfect press in Mauritius. There are different kinds of newspapers on the market (some serious, some not) as there are different breeds of journalists (some professional, some not). Of course, ultimately it’s the readers who decide on the fate of their papers by choosing to buy or not the titles that are on offer. To my mind, the most popular papers in Mauritius enjoy a high level of credibility with the population. Sometimes, they do betray this credibility by publishing incomplete or distorted accounts of local events but on the whole, they are doing a fine job. This does not mean that they should rest on their laurels. In a world of increased openness, they too should accept being subjected to questioning just like the public figures on whom they report.
Though there has not yet been any consensus on the institution of a local Press Council or Press Complaints Commission despite Kenneth Morgan’s recommendations in 1999, it is high time that the local journalism world starts ensuring quality assurance within its own ranks instead of having government-imposed laws and regulations (like the proposed Media Commision Bill). The creation of posts of Ombudspersons (or ‘mediateurs’ in French) could be a first step…
Welcome to my first blog
I have decided to have my own blog since some time but never actually found (or made) time to do it, despite constant subtle reminders on my husband’s part (see his blog at www.noulakaz.net)
I hope to use this platform to share my thoughts and comments on things that interest me on a regular basis: on media and communication (I am a lecturer in this field at the University of Mauritius), on society in general and on my home country Mauritius.
My particular fields of interest in academia include, inter alia, cultural studies, film theory, journalism and new media.