The media is crucial in ensuring a healthy democracy and citizen engagement

May 2, 2021

The political, social, and economic context of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is characterized by fragility, which has historic foundations from years of experiencing political divergence and instability. Given the political dynamics surrounding the transition to democracy, it is not wholly unreasonable that communities still reel from the effects of restrictions, censorship and other risks associated with struggle. In 2021, Guinea-Bissau ranked 85th on the world press freedom index out of 180 countries. 

Confronting the challenges of media restriction. 

Overly sensitive to criticism, censorship, and human rights threats against journalists, which resulted in significant restrictions to freedom of expression and the media, were not unheard of in the past. Today, a fractured media splinters the Bissau-Guinean media landscape. Compounded by the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, concerns emanating from media outlets about the fear that the pandemic will threaten their own survival and livelihoods is a major challenge for all democratic and reform efforts in the new transition phase in Guinea-Bissau.  

This first open class held on impunity of crimes against journalists and freedom of expression in Guinea-Bissau as part of preparations to mark World Press Freedom Day celebrated on 3rd of May 2021, Photo: UNDP, 2021

In effect, like most media outlets in sub-Saharan Africa, the media houses in Guinea Bissau are operated with a small staff and thus rely heavily on media releases and ‘walk-ins’ for news content. Moreover, the institutional and human capacities of media outlets to carry out in-depth analysis and work on investigative journalism are rather limited. Also, whereas mass media is important for reaching urban communities and decision-makers, it can’t be relied on to reach rural communities, particularly women. There, community radios continue to be the main tool to disseminate information and offer a platform for dialogue. Finally, minimal gate keeping means that messages (through media releases, letters to the editor and opinion articles) can easily be placed, but opportunities for manipulation and dissemination of misinformation are also high as a result. 

A speaker giving a statement at the Open Class for Journalists and students of CMICS, Photo: UNDP, 2021

Drawing from the United Nations Secretary-General statement in his video message on World Press Freedom Day 2021, ‘Journalism As A Public Good: 30 Years Of The Windhoek Declaration,’

“Free and independent journalism is our greatest ally in combatting misinformation and disinformation.” 

UNDP Guinea Bissau, in the framework of a PBF-funded project on Political Stabilization and Reform, has joined forces with Consórcio Média, Inovação da Comunicação Social (CMICS) – which translates to Media Consortium for Social Communication and Innovation to professionalize journalism in Guinea-Bissau. The agreement, which was signed this March 2021, aims to reinforce not only the capacity of CMICS, but also to create a space for synergies so that journalists can exercise dynamic, proactive, and independent journalism capable of overseeing public policies, promoting human rights, and participatory citizenship in favor of democratic governance and sustainable development. 

Radio studio for training media personnel at CMICS, supported by UNIOGBIS with funding from UN PBF, Photo: UNDP, 2021

Central in the agreement, are workshops, and open classes for journalists, who are studying the CMICS professional courses for journalists and senior professionals. These workshops/open classes will be conducted at CMICS and transmitted to 16 community radios via the Community Radios Network – RENARC. An open class was conducted on 28th April,  by the President of the Journalists Bar and Professor, Antonio Nhaga, as well as Fatima Tchuma Camará, a journalist and President of the Journalists and Media Technicians Trade Union (SINJOTECS) for over 30 participants.  

Television studio for training media personnel at CMICS supported by UNIOGBIS, with funding by UN PBF, Photo: UNDP, 2021

This first open class was held on the impunity of crimes against journalists and freedom of expression in Guinea-Bissau as part of preparations to mark World Press Freedom Day celebrated on the 3rd of May 2021.

The transmissions will ensure that rural communities are reached via their community radios, in remote areas, to access information on issues and/or development trends taking place in key areas for the sustainable development of the country. 

Crucially, these open classes will help to improve the quality of analysis in reporting on monitoring political developments and reforms of the State and highlight issues affecting women, children, and marginalized communities.

The President of the Journalists Bar and Professor, Antonio Nhaga, giving a lecture on journalism and ethics, Photo: UNDP, 2021

CMICS was created in 2018, by the different media organizations in Guinea-Bissau, namely, Union of Journalists and Media Technicians (SINJOTECS), Order of Journalists (OJ), National Network of Community Radio and TV in Guinea-Bissau (RENARC ), Association of Women Professionals in Social Communication (AMPROCS) and the NGO Action for Development (AD) - with the support of the United Nations, through a joint project implemented by the UNDP and UNIOGBIS, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). 

The Consortium boasts of a fully equipped multimedia center, with radio, TV, and press studios, where the first professional journalism and multimedia training center for professional training has been operating since 2020, in association with the vocational training center, Escola de Artes and Crafts, belonging to the NGO AD, whose objective is to provide professionals and young people who intend to enter the journalism profession with a set of skills, essential in terms of knowledge and know-how for professional practice. 

A student presenting his ideas on the impunity of crimes against journalists during open classes, Photo: UNDP, 2021

In general, the wider public in Guinea-Bissau is eager to access information, hold power to account, and participate in platforms for debate and dialogue around key issues for the peace and stability of the country. A well trained and independent media will take advantage of these at the germinal period of the reforms processes to always seek to ensure that its operations are not politicized, that the quality of its work, especially information dissemination and communications work, is done with the highest professional and ethical standards to garner civic trust. 

Following many strides made since the commencement of the reforms processes in Guinea-Bissau, success stories reproduced in the media by independent and qualified media personnel will assist in the development of a sense of national pride among people about the progress they are making as a nation. 

While the United Nations Development Programme continues to be agile in offering support to the Government and people of Guinea-Bissau, it is little doubt that media plays a key role in ensuring peace and stability in the country. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, UNDP reaffirms its commitment to support media freedom and extends an invitation to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom for a healthy democracy.

Author: Rohey Samba-Jallow, Communications Specialist