General

My final submission to the ICTA on its proposed amendments to the ICT Act

19/05/2021 By christina 2 Comments

In this blogpost, you will find the link to my final submission to the ICTA on its proposed amendments to the ICT Act. In the last section of my paper, I include my answers (reproduced below) to the specific questions of the ICTA in its Consultation Paper.

Click here to access the full text of the analytical paper

Click here to access the PDF format of the Analytical Paper

Summary of questions being released for public consultation

14.1 What are your views on the present approach of self-regulation of social networks by social media administrators themselves where they decide to remove an online content or not based on their own usage policy and irrespective of your domestic law?

Countries around the world face issues concerning circulation of posts which are potentially in breach of their domestic laws on social media platforms. There is, at present, no fully satisfactory response which is proposed or effectively deployed in any democratic country. Only non-democratic countries have recourse to drastic measures aiming to block and/or intercept all of their own citizens’ online communications and social media traffic in an attempt to regulate the same. As a democratic country, Mauritius cannot use methods which would be more suitable for non-democratic regimes.

It is true that the content being circulated online which either targets or is created by Mauritian citizens on social media may be in breach of domestic laws. However, an objective assessment of the extent of such illicit content being circulated needs to be conducted to determine the extent of abuse and/or misuse as already specified in the above paper,

It should also be recalled that social media platforms offer various levels of privacy, meaning that one may categorise the online communication sphere created by these into multiple sub-categories, which can tentatively be broadly listed as follows:

Online national public sphere created by public personalities (prominent members of society such as politicians, leaders of big organisations, community and religious leaders, opinion leaders, etc.) and organisations (whether public or private bodies) who decide to publish their posts on the full “public mode” level. Their content becomes accessible to anyone without the need to be directly connected as “friends” or “friends of friends”. They generally have a large number of followers/friends and their posts can be shared, thereby enabling them to become viral.
Targeted public circles created by specific individuals and bodies who wish to communicate within a semi-restricted sphere, upon invitation.
Private circles whereby an individual or entity communicates only with their friends and whose posts cannot be shared outside of the network of friends.

There are obviously more levels of control which are generally available on some social media platforms in between those three broad categories. Suffice to say that the first level (online national public sphere) is the one which should command the most attention, followed by the second level (targeted public circles) whereas the third level (private circles) may be considered the equivalent of private conversations between private individuals.

Individuals and entities who have large follower bases in the online national public sphere and targeted public circles are the ones who should be more subject to scrutiny as they have the potential for virality and their speech is tantamount to public speech, which may be evaluated against prevailing domestic laws.

As it is, the responsibility for regulating content rests primarily on the social media platforms themselves, the most popular of which are based overseas, thus not directly subjected to domestic laws. These platforms use their own terms of use or community standards to evaluate content (1) when prompted by other users who flag potential issues or (2) when their internal algorithms detect highly sensitive content requiring intervention by the platform.

Intense debates have taken place after the occurrence of major incidents linked to social media accounts of public figures such as former US President Donald Trump. The latter’s account was shut down on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after the Capitol invasion in January 2021 when he lost elections. Despite multiple posts which contained fake news and racist comments during his presidency, he was only banned from social media platforms when he lost the last elections, thus sparking debates about whether all major public figures around the world would henceforth be liable to similar treatment by the platforms. This was one of the most prominent cases entrusted by Facebook to its own Oversight Board for review. The Facebook Oversight Board published its ruling on 5th May 2021 and upheld the decision but requested that Facebook review the decision within the next six months and also develop clear, necessary, and proportionate policies that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression.

La communication en temps de crise

12/04/2020 By christina Leave a Comment

Article paru dans Le Défi Plus le 4 avril 2020

Voici les questions de la journaliste et les réponses originales que j’ai données.

Pourquoi la communication est-elle importante dans la gestion de crise?
Elle est cruciale en temps de crise afin de faire passer les informations sans aucune ambiguïté et rapidement entre tous les groupes d’acteurs concernés et aussi à tout un peuple surtout si on veut que ce peuple collabore pleinement. Il ne s’agit plus ici de dorer ou redorer l’image de quelqu’un ou d’un groupe de personnes mais de s’assurer que la crise soit bien gérée. La communication doit être un outil et pas une fin en soi. Un outil au service de la nation dans le cas présent.

Dans quelle mesure Maurice a-t-elle pu gérer cela correctement?
En ce qu’il s’agit de la communication vers la masse: elle a été en dents de scie avec des ‘ups and downs’. Il y a eu de très bonnes séances de communication et des moins bonnes. Mais, j’ai le devoir de dire que, dans la situation actuelle de crise extrême où nous sommes arrivés, tout conseiller en communication qui n’écoute pas ou ne comprend pas les experts, surtout les scientifiques, ne pourra donc pas faire passer les messages les plus importants. Un communicant n’a qu’une seule fonction en temps de crise: faire passer le message des experts de façon claire. Il ne faut surtout pas tomber dans la facilité.
L’éthique doit primer. La communication en temps de crise n’est PAS une communication de paillette.

Quelles sont les recommandations d’amélioration en ce moment de crise?
Ecouter les experts (médecins, scientifiques, informaticiens, etc.) et ceux qui ont une vue d’ensemble.
Pratiquer la transparence totale, admettre les erreurs, en tirer les leçons, consolider ses propres compétences.
Ne pas oublier que chacune de nos actions d’aujourd’hui vont déterminer l’avenir de notre pays.

Day 2 of film making workshop

07/10/2015 By christina Leave a Comment

Day 2 of the film making workshop by Tim Skousen followed the same pace as Day 1. We discussed text (plot/story) and sub-text (message/moral) and watched extracts of Peter Berg’s Hancock and Mike Nichol’s The Graduate as well as the complete movie The Nightcrawlers by Dan Gilroy. The latter is a very interesting critique of the media world and the society of spectacle.

Participants were asked to brainstorm on the key things which they thought are relevant to Mauritius. As you can see from the picture, the whiteboard was quickly covered with words which expressed the perceptions, feelings, worries and aspirations of the five young Mauritians.

They then had to draw connections between ideas which they thought were related and explain why. This led to the inevitable explanations about the Mauritian setup: our ethno-religious groups (what we call ‘communities’), our struggle to define a national identity as well as other more universal social issues such as inequality, corruption, power struggles, drugs, politics, etc.

Tim advised the aspiring film makers to use their insights about the society they live to find story ideas. Based on the idea board, he quickly came up with two stories as you can see on the board.

In the afternoon, Tim used a long scene from The Graduate to talk about dramatic structure in a screenplay. Typically, the screenplay should show that characters have goals they want to attain, use particular strategies to attain these goals and, if they cannot, will change their strategies in case they are unsuccessful (indicated by beats, i.e. new information, dramatic action or element).

We finished by working on a commercial Tim is currently making for a big brand name in the US. We analysed the script and had to propose a list of shots and edits using a storyboard to help visualise what the shooting and final edit should look like.

It was a quite intensive day but well worth it!

Launch of Book ‘Ethical Journalism and Gender-Sensitive Reporting’ and ‘A Gender Code of Ethics for the Media’

04/06/2013 By christina 18 Comments

The University of Mauritius
Faculty of Social Studies and Humanities
in collaboration with UNESCO-IPDC

requests the pleasure of your company at the

Launching Ceremony
of the book ‘Ethical Journalism and Gender-Sensitive Reporting’
and of A Gender Code of Ethics for the Media

on Monday 10th June 2013 at 13 00 hrs at the R. Burrenchobay Lecture Theatre (RBLT), University of Mauritius

Guests are kindly requested to be seated by 12 50 hrs
RSVP: or

Please note that a free copy of the book (including the code) will be subsequently distributed to all journalists and media houses. A registration list will have to be completed on the day of the launching.

Feel free to share this invitation

Programme

13.00 Welcome Remarks by Mrs Christina Chan-Meetoo, editor and convenor
13.05 Assoc. Prof. Jocelyn Chan Low, Dean, FSSH
13.10 Prof Soodursun Jugessur, GOSK, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council
13.20 Hon. Dr R. Jeetah, Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, Research & Technology
13.35 Hon (Mrs.) M. F. M. Martin, Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare.
13.50 Launching of the book by Hon. Jeetah and of the code by Hon. Martin
13.55 Refreshments
Registration of journalists for copies of books

About the Authors

Table of Content

A Gender Code of Ethics for the Media

25/04/2013 By christina 3 Comments

As a follow up to our October 2012 workshop on gender-sensitive reporting which was sponsored by UNESCO, we have been asked to propose a Gender Code of Ethics for the Media. Before finalising, we are seeking views and suggestions on the draft proposal You can either comment here or send an email to or . We will soon launch a book as a follow up to the workshop on ethics in journalism and the workshop on gender-sensitive reporting. It will be made available freely to all journalists and media houses and will be an interesting follow-up to Robertson’s preliminary report.

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Proposed Gender Code of Ethics for the Media
Gender equality is an integral part of freedom of expression as all gender categories have the right to be heard and seen in the public sphere as full-fledge citizens participating in a democratic society. Gender balance is thus important in news reporting. Equally important is the need to challenge prevailing gender stereotypes.

Journalists endeavour to recognise the diversity of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, ability, sexuality, age and class. They shall strive to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender from their respective publication and pledge to put more effort to provide for more balance, fairness and accuracy in their reports. They shall strive to be inclusive by seeking a diversity of voices rather than rely solely on usual male dominant sources.

Journalists and media houses shall NOT:

use discriminatory or sexist language. In case they are citing such language as used by the subjects of their articles, they shall use appropriate quotation marks and reporting verbs while taking care not to promote or support the person quoted.
depict women in general as inferior, secondary class citizens.
resort to gender stereotyping of roles (e.g. loving, caring women, tough men, effeminate gays, masculinised lesbians, etc.).
have recourse to the commoditisation of the female body and gratuitous sexualised and eroticised views of women who are portrayed in the news.
pander to lurid curiosity.
publish the identity (name, picture) of rape victims and victims of sexual violence and other sexual offences without informed consent. They shall take all precautions to protect the identity of such victims so that the latter are not subjected to stigmatisation and further trauma.
glamourise violence against women and sexual minorities such as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender (LGBT).
advocate hatred based on gender, nor incite to cause harm.
encourage misogyny and the reinforcement of patriarchy.

In the workplace, media houses shall allow journalists to work across a diversity of beats, irrespective of gender category. They shall ensure that selection, recruitment, career pathing, capacity building, training, fast tracking and promotion are devoid of gender discrimination and that there is no tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace. They shall encourage friendly work practices and mutual respect between men and women. Media houses shall encourage the active pursuit of knowledge in gender issues and incorporate same in their training programmes. They shall develop policies to ensure gender balance in coverage and gender equality in the workplace.

This Gender Code of Ethics should be read in line with any General Code of Ethics, whether developed by media houses, media associations or regulators.

Programme of UNESCO/UOM Dialogue Session on the Media

15/09/2010 By christina Leave a Comment

Enhancing Democratic Systems: The Media in Mauritius
A UNESCO/UOM Dialogue Session

Venue: University of Mauritius – 16 & 17th September 2010

Day 1: Thursday 16th September (ELT2 – Engineering Tower)

Opening Ceremony
13.30 – 14.00 Registration
14.00 – 14.05 Welcome Remarks – Dean FSSH
14.05 – 14.15 UNESCO Representative
14.15 – 14.20 Ag Vice Chancellor, UOM
14.20 – 15.00 Keynote address: Mr Amadou Mahtar Ba – CEO African Media Initiative
15.00 – 15.15 Floor Discussion
15.15 – 15.30 Tea Break

Session 1: Freedom, Media and Democracy
Chair: Ibrahim Koodoruth, UOM
15.30 – 15.45 Constitutional and Legal Frameworks: Opportunities and Constraints for the Media Industry – Maneesh Gobin
15.45 – 16.15 Freedom and Transparency: A Journalistic Appreciation – Subash Gobine and Gilbert Ahnee
16.15 – 16.30 Enlarging the Mauritian Democratic Space: Creating an Informed Citizenry – Catherine Boudet
16.30 – 17.00 Floor Discussion

Day 2: Friday 17th September (LT1 -NAC)

Session 2: Media Systems and Policies
(i) Chair: Amadou Mahtar Ba – African Media Initiative
9.30 – 9.45 Integrity of Public Institutions: The Case of the MBC – Dan Callikhan
9.45 – 10.00 Private Radio: Serving Public or Commercial Interest – Striking the Right Balance – Abdoollah Earally
10.00 – 10.15 21st Century Broadcasting: The Need to Revisit and Reinvent Established Systems – Roukaya Kasenally
10h15 – 10.30 Floor Discussion

(ii) Chair: Roukaya Kasenally – UOM
10.30 – 10.45 The Role of Regulation – Gilbert Ithier – IBA
10.45 – 11.00 Experiments in Self Regulation: The NEPA Code of Conduct – Lindsay Rivière
11.00 – 11.15 State or Self Regulation: The Search for Common Ground – Christina Chan-Meetoo
11h15 – 11h30 Floor Discussion
11h30 – 11h45 Tea Break

Session 3: Media, Politics and Democracy
Chair: Sheila Bunwaree – UOM
11.45 – 12.15 Mainstream Political Parties and the Media: Cehl Meeah (FSM ), Steven Obeegadoo (MMM), Nita Deerpalsing (LP)
12.15 – 12.35 Extra-parliamentary Dynamics and the Media: Ashok Subron and Nilen Vencadasamy
12.35 – 12.50 The Media and the notion of ‘Free and Fair’ Elections – Mayila Paroomal
12.50 – 13.10 Floor Discussion
13.10 – 13.40 Lunch

Session 4: Citizens and the Media
Chair: Caroline Ng Tseung Wong – UOM
13.40 – 13.55 New Spaces, New Challenges: The Relevance of Regulation – Trilock Dwarka
13.55 – 14.15 The Advent of Digital Content: Experiences in Online Journalism – Rabin Bhujun and Avinash Meetoo
14.15 – 14.30 The Emerging Digital Environment: Opportunities and Constraints – Azhagan Chenganna
14.30 – 15.00: Floor Discussion
15.00 – 15.15: Tea Break

Session 5: Challenges to the Journalism Trade: Training and Professionalism
Chair: Christina Chan Meetoo
15.15 – 16.15 Round Table: Kiran Ramsahye, Jean-Claude de L’Estrac, Henri Marimootoo, Axcel Cheney and Jean-Luc Emile
16.15 – 16.45 Floor Discussion

16.45 – 17.00 Concluding Remarks and Vote of Thanks