Category Archives: News

The Rwanda media Self-regulatory body (Rwanda Media commission) jointly with Rwanda National Police  have organized regular interaction session  between the public order and law enforcers (Police & DASSO Officers) and members of the media fraternity under the theme: “Strengthening Partnership for Quality Service Delivery.” During the first interaction held on 3^rd April 2017, a twelve-point resolutions were adopted at the end of the one day Rwanda National Police,  District Administration Security Support Organs (DASSO) and the Rwanda media fraternity interaction session, aimed at enhancing a better working relationship between the security forces and the media in Rwanda.

The day-long session was graced by representatives from the Swedish embassy, UNESCO, Legal Aid Forum, Rwanda Governance Board, Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority, National Commission for the Fight against Genocide, and the National Public Prosecution Authority among others.

The opening session was officiated by the Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney General Hon. Busingye Johnston .He highlighted that Professional journalism is about serving the interest of the people when it comes to crime prevention and compliance with the law, your commitment to public safety is highly valued.

The chairperson of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), Cleophas Barore, said that in a period of four years, RMC has mediated and adjudicated over 200 filed complaints and none of them was handled by either the Police or judicial courts of law.This achievement was considered a success story by the guest honor, Hon. Busingye who stated that the Rwanda courts have been laid off the burden of media related cases but much more guaranteed the constitutional rights of freedom of expression by journalists.

UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa was represented by Ms Lydia Gachungi, the regional expert for safety of journalists and media development who urged the media national stakeholders to establish a national mechanism for safety, taking into account that the safety of journalists concerns cannot be addressed by any single institution or organization. “Safety of Journalists can be addressed comprehensively by tackling the three Ps which are prevention, protection and prosecution. There is need to elaborate who the stakeholdersof such a mechanism should be, whom such mechanism should cover not forgetting citizen journalists and bloggers and the design considering the country historical and current context,” Ms. Gachungi reiterated.

The Police spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege indicated that the relationship between media and police is improving compared to previous years where incidents of friction between police and media was adversarial. He however called on the journalist to always carry their identification documents with them for the police to ensure their security while on duty.

Participants to this session that included high ranking police officers,District administration security services officers ,journalists ,academicians and senior government representatives   present deliberated on key issues to advance ethical reporting of legal and justice matters, safety of journalists, rights and obligations and responsible coverage of the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In his closing remarks, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Emmanuel Gasana advised that the adopted 12 resolutions should rather be action points to ensure that impact is attained.

The resolutions centered on ensuring ethical reporting of legal and justice matters, safety of journalists, responsible coverage of the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and empowering Rwanda Media Commission to effectively monitor the media performance.

With Support from UNESCO and the Government of Sweden, the Rwanda National Police and the media fraternity in Rwanda are holding six Police – Media interaction sessions at the national and regional level in the month of April and May 2017. This follows a the resolutions of the training of Police and journalists on safety of journalists which took place in April 2016 and resolutions of the meeting of 20^th June 2016 where participants recommended regular interaction sessions between Rwanda National Police (RNP) and media fraternity.

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Rwanda’s security is intact, the Minister for Justice, Johnston Busingye, said yesterday, as he called for continued partnership at all levels to sustain what has been achieved.

The Minister made the remarks while officiating at the opening of a one-day Police-Media interaction session held at Police headquarters under the theme; “Strengthening Partnership for Quality Service Delivery.” The session is held on a quarterly basis.

He said the media is a strong partner in ensuring security in the country but called for a paradigm shift from crime prevention to educating Rwandans to comply with the law.

“Professional journalism is about serving the interest of the people, precisely when it comes to crime prevention and compliance with the law… your commitment to public safety is highly valued,” the Minister said.

He reminded journalists that their work serves as an enabler for the nation’s development.

“The government is proud of the important role the media is playing by being good advocates for citizen interests.”

“Crimes affect all of us, including criminals themselves. We should all desist from crime to avoid its consequences. All Rwandans should work towards a country that’s free from illicit drugs, corruption, cyber-enabled crimes, theft, Gender Based Violence and any other crime,” he said.

He particularly emphasized the role of the media in championing the ongoing efforts against trafficking, distribution and use of narcotics.

“Drug-related crimes should be dealt with because of their adverse effects on humanity.”

He further highlighted that although Rwanda remains safe, emerging cross-border security threats such as terrorism and technology-facilitated crimes remain a global concern that requires collective approach.

The chairperson of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), Cleophas Barore, said that, “of the 200 cases we have handled in the last four years, none of those has been referred to the Police….besides that, these interactions help bridge the gap between the Police and the media.”

While closing the session, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K Gasana said that; “the security architecture was set by all agencies and it incorporates all players including the media, the general public and other public and private entities which has facilitated easy access to information.”

He also called for partnership especially in the forthcoming 23rd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The day-long session was attended by representative from the Swedish embassy, UNESCO Legal Aid Forum, Rwanda Governance Board, Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority, National Commission for the Fight against Genocide, and the National Public Prosecution Authority.

Senior Police officers, journalists and experts present deliberated on working relations between the media and police, ethical reporting of legal and justice matters, safety of journalists, rights and obligations and responsible coverage of the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

SOURCE:NEWTIMES

Media issues in Rwanda are no longer to do with “access to information” but rather “how to make money and build capacity of journalists.”

This was the key message that media practitioners and investors echoed during a media breakfast organised last week at Kigali Serena Hotel.

Speakers noted that the main reason behind the sloppy growth of media sector in the country is lack of financial capacity by media players to invest and grow.

The head of Media Investors Forum Charles Kakooza, said that although great strides have been made in the media sector, more needs to be done to make it more professional and economically powerful.

Recounting how he started TV1, under harsh circumstances – only to break even a year-plus later – Kakooza said that, without economic sustainability in Rwanda’s media, the sector won’t be able to thrive and practitioners won’t grow professionally. “The media sector needs a financial boost. Setting up the media fund is one way we can kick poverty out of the media sector. It is important that development partners and government help in establishing this fund to spur the growth of the sector,” Kakooza said.

Kakooza also believes that media development can’t be achieved without cooperation from both public and private sector.

Several development partners and government officials, who spoke to The New Times at the media breakfast, shared similar sentiments; they believe that weak financial capacity has cost the media profession in the country, hence making its contribution to the national development relatively less.

Cleophas Barore, the Chairperson of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC)

The forum in Kigali that brought together development partners and media personnel was organised by Rwanda Governance Board.

“I think the quality of media in general can be improved,” said Mikael Bostrom, Counsellor and head of Development cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden.

Bostrom added that media development in general needs sustainable financing and that media sector must to find a way to self-financing to grow independently.

According to the Rwanda Media Barometer 2016, media sector grew by only 8.9 per cent in the last three years.

Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive Officer of RGB said that having a media fund will solve numerous issues in the sector and will certainly enable a vibrant media sector that is free, professional, responsible, and profitable.

Cleophas Barore, the Acting Chairperson of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC)—a media self-regulatory body—said that the fund would enable journalists and media investors to access finances for investment and other endeavours at  little interest .

Lamin M. Manneh, the UN Resident Coordinator, however, acknowledged that the introduction of media reforms and the constitution of the media laws have been vital in transforming the sector.

The Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) and UNESCO have produced five videos on media regulation for wide dissemination in the Republic of Rwanda. The project was generously supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Sweden. The videos were produced to build awareness amongst journalists, media practitioners, government officials, and the general public concerning current media laws, standards, and the basic rights of journalists and those involved in the profession. The videos provide general information on a number of principles required for a healthy democratic society where journalism is openly practiced, and freedom of expression is encouraged and not compromised by threats or other forms of intimidation and violence. The videos are also useful as they instruct individuals on current media law and direct individuals to relevant legal articles for the specific text.

The five videos cover the following topics:

1. Protection of Sources discusses the fundamental principle that sources of information need to be protected and free from harm, threats and intimidation; anonymity is an important principle to help ensure that individuals do not fail to provide information for threat of retaliation and is key for exposing corruption in government;
2. Complaint Handling discusses the role of RMC in handing complaints by any individual who may feel aggrieved by content in the media; it covers information on how an individual can lodge a complaint and the procedures RMC follows including its reliance on the code of ethics;
3. Media Plurality provides information on the importance of there being many voices and opinions in the media for ensuring high quality and responsible content and in maintaining a healthy democracy; it discusses individuals rights to start a media organisation and how to do so;
4. Safety of Journalists sheds light on the problem of journalists’ safety in conducting their trade; it explains the role of RMC in protecting their rights and that it takes action whenever journalists are attacked, imprisoned, kidnapped or harassed; and
5. Journalist Accreditation provides information on the role of media to facilitate a well-functioning democracy and in particular that journalistic accreditation by RMC is an important lever for accessing all sources of public information allowing media practitioners to carry out their investigations fully and without hindrance.

The videos will be disseminated widely on the RMC website, through social networks, and through various other platforms. They will be important for strengthening a culture of freedom of expression and openness in journalism and media in general to reinforce a cohesive and flourishing society.

It is with sadness and deep sorrow that Rwanda Media Commission learned the untimely death of the veteran journalist Mr. Emmanuel RUSHINGABIGWI, who until his death, yesterday, Sunday, 20th March 2016 was a mentor in the media sector.

Rwanda Media Commission joins all Rwandans in expressing its condolences to bereaved family, the entire media fraternity and the Rwandan nation for the loss of a journalist and mentor in media sector par excellence.

Mr. RUSHINGABIGWI contributed in the development of Rwanda’s media sector by sensitizing Rwanda journalists and media practitioners on their rights, responsibilities and obligations towards rising professionalism and responsibility in the media sector.

He will be missed for his charm, his courage, zeal, skill and his willingness to share his ideas with us all.

Rwanda Media Commission’s deepest sympathies and heart also go out to the family of Mr. RUSHINGABIGWI, especially the wife and his children.

May the Almighty Lord sustain the bereaved family during this difficult time, and may Mr. RUSHINGABIGWI Emmanuel soul rest in eternal peace.

Kigali 21^st March 2016

Rwanda Media Commission

[Media Self-Regulatory Body]