An independent and pluralistic media is a central pillar of democracy. The role of the media in a democratic society is one that informs the public, enhances political participation, and acts as a government watchdog. The media in the Middle East North Africa region is not able to fully perform this role due to restrictions on freedom of expression and the lack of access to information. Often the institutions necessary for a fully functional press, such as free elections and rule of law, are absent in these countries, and more often than not there is little transparency of institutions and procedures that prohibits the media from having the information necessary to fulfill its role in the democratic process.
Over the last several years, the media in the Middle East North Africa region has seen substantial development, often transcending national borders and even reducing the effects of censorship. The decade of the nineties saw a proliferation of new media outlets due to satellite television and the internet. Because it is becoming increasingly difficult for governments to control what their people are allowed to know, they are moving away from direct control and towards more subtle methods such as restrictive press laws, licensing regimes, taxation, restricting access to websites, and even control of paper supplies or equipment. Governments are also using “anti-terrorism” laws as an excuse to restrict journalism. In response, reporters often practice self-censorship for fear of punishment. Indeed, 2005 saw a number of journalists kidnapped, imprisoned, or murdered in the MENA region, which served to deter more reporters from writing about taboo topics. All of this has contributed to the lack of access to information in the region.
The lack of information is severe in the field of economics. This is nowhere more evident than in the fact that there is no accurate word for “entrepreneurship” in the Arabic language. Decades of state-run economies have produced a generation of journalists with no knowledge about free-market concepts, which are at the very heart of democracy. Obstacles to freedom of expression and access to information are the root of the problem. Journalists must learn how to advocate policy change to lawmakers, whose decisions are crippling economic reform.
Regardless of the field of journalism, all reporters must work together to overcome the barriers to access to information. In the MENA region, much discussion is taking place about the role of the media in the democratic transition process. Satellite television is leading the way in reform and helping to shape the media into a viable democratic institution in the Arab world, and this is evident in Aljazeera’s second annual forum entitled “Defending Freedom, Defining Responsibility,” which ended today in Qatar. The forum discussed political, legal, and technological challenges facing news organizations, as well as the responsibility of the media in a world that is seemingly experiencing a clash of civilizations.
As part of CIPE’s ongoing economic journalism program designed to give reporters the tools they need for quality reporting, CIPE plans to hold a regional roundtable in 2006 on obstacles that economic reporters face in providing information to the public. The main objective of the roundtable is to bridge the gap between developments of Arab and global media in terms of policy, deregulation, and professionalism. To support CIPE’s program, Economic Reform Journal is published quarterly in Arabic. CIPE’s Economic Reform Journal is a leading business and policy publication on key economic issues, including international commerce and democracy, corporate governance, anti-corruption, globalization, property rights, and entrepreneurship. ERJ publishes articles written by international experts and local professionals to showcase local reform efforts in the MENA region.
Published Date: February 02, 2006