19 October 2022
The African Media Barometer (AMB) has in its years of existence proved to be an enduring and time-tested effective lobby and advocacy tool to foster the exercise and enjoyment of media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information in Africa.
This lobby and advocacy is critical in ensuring and securing a free media operating environment to spur socio-economic development and prosperity in Africa.
The AMB, as a media freedom and freedom of expression evaluation tool, offers policy makers, civic society, media and the academia the opportunity to reflect on achievements, milestones and challenges that need to be addressed to entrench the enjoyment of fundamental rights.
These milestones or challenges, are determined and measured against the region’s respective national constitutions and African-grown instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) Revised Declaration on the Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
Other relevant Declarations and Principles include, among others, the African Charter on Broadcasting, African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms.
Our special thanks to FES Media Africa for the great work, expertise and time spent in reviewing and updating the AMB’s indicators to ensure they are in sync with emerging media trends and developments and access to information in the internet age as envisaged by the new ACHPR Declaration on the Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
It is therefore critical to ensure that the findings and recommendations of the AMB do not end with its launches in respective countries, but that practical steps are taken to address identified challenges and shortcomings.
For us as MISA Regional, this is a vital evaluation tool that greatly assists us in determining the state of media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information for informed strategic interventions in pushing for reforms in given SADC countries hinged on the findings of respective regional AMBs.
In line with our mandate of defending and promoting media freedom and freedom of expression, it becomes easier for us to engage and lobby other critical stakeholders and raising awareness on reforms that need to be undertaken in respective countries.
This is so because the AMB’s findings are based and benchmarked on our very own African instruments and model laws such as the African Model Law on Access to Information for Africa.
We therefore urge SADC regional leaders and governments to embrace the findings and recommendations of the AMB to foster and entrench the enjoyment of fundamental rights as envisaged and provided for by Africa’s very own instruments, declarations and principles and respective constitutions.
This will go a long way towards the enactment and implementation of democratic media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information laws to spur socio-economic development and prosperity.
