The Malawi government has disputed a report released recently by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), arguing that Malawi’s poor showing on the Press Freedom Index was based on inappropriate criteria. The Worldwide Press Freedom ranking for 2011-2012 has listed Malawi as one of the worst countries in the world in promoting press freedom. The study shows that Malawi has plunged 67 places from 79 in 2010 to 146 in 2011/12. The rankings, released on 27 January, show that Malawi now ranks 146 out of 225 countries analyzed.
Responding to the report, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, James Kalilangwe, described the study’s criteria as wrong. “The criteria included violence, censorship and imprisonment of journalists yet Malawi has never caused, nor advocated for violence against journalists…neither does government engage in censorship of the media…no journalist has been imprisoned on any political grounds,” Mr Kalilangwe argued.
Malawi’s fall has been described as the worst for any country and attributed to ‘totalitarian’ tendencies of President Bingu Wa Mutharika and threats and arrests of journalists during the 20 July anti-government demonstrations which left 18 people dead and scores of others including journalists injured.
Another factor for Malawi’s drop on the rankings is attributed to the adoption of new media legislation criticized internationally as unconstitutional and unwarranted in a democratic Malawi. The new legislation, which forced some European countries to suspend aid to Malawi, include an amendment to Section 46 of the Penal Code which gives the Minister of Information the power to ban or close publications deemed “not in the public interest.”
Mr Kalilangwe, however, argues that the report’s criteria were inappropriate. “It appears that Malawi has been assessed based on the death of Robert Chasowa, a thing which does not fall under the criteria used,’ reads part of the statement signed by the Principal Secretary. Chasowa was a student activist who died mysteriously at the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic.
Responding to government’s reaction on the Press Freedom Index Report, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi’s Chairperson Anthony Kasunda said the government was just trying to be defensive on the matter. “The researchers based their assessment on the same issues we have on many occasions raised with government through letters and meetings with Ministry of Information officials,” he said. Mr Kasunda has urged government to accept its shortfalls and engage media bodies in trying to make things right again.
Reporters Without Borders’ Worldwide Press Freedom Index is an annual report that uses more than 50 criteria to assess press freedom across the world. These include violations such as murder, assault, threats and censorship from governments, armed militias among others.
(Source: MISA)
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