The media fraternity on Tuesday ushered in a historic self-regulating body which will be charged with professionalising and promoting independent reporting.

Previously, the media was primarily regulated by the state-run Media High Council.

During a validation workshop yesterday, attended by over 100 journalists, editors, media owners, experts and government officials, discussions revolved around on how the body will carry out its mandate of supervising and defending journalists’ work. 

Its initiation was hailed by several journalists as a "defining moment” for the local media, which has passed through tumultuous periods, notably during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, which several journalists are believed to have incited.

"This is a step in the right direction,” Kenneth Agutamba, a local journalist said. 

Another journalist, Berna Namata, said that the body is likely to become "a solid foundation for the development of professionalism within the media.”

Much as the move is cause for celebration amongst the fourth estate, some journalists argue that the self regulatory body comes with the pressure of possessing high level maturity and responsibility on the side of practitioners.

"This will definitely promote credibility and independence in the media; but for it to succeed we must emphasise a high level of maturity and responsibility in our work or  the process will fail,” Arthur Asiimwe, the head of Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, said.

Asiimwe criticised a section of journalists for harbouring "baseless suspicion” on every development in the media sector, saying their attitude will not serve to strengthen the new body.

"There is a lot of suspicion on the side of practitioners. There seems to be some doubting Thomases saying that this will not work,” Asiimwe said.

On its part, the government maintains that the  envisaged media self-regulation is part of its broader  reforms intended to empower the media sector. 

Ensuring compliance  

"The Government made a deliberate decision to allow media self-regulation through an amendment of the Media Law to allow media practitioners assume the responsibility of ensuring compliance with media professional standards , and to defend the general interest of the public,” the Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, said.

He, however, pointed out that the government expects the media fraternity to be conscious of the professional backgrounds and social standing of those it will elect to the body’s imminent board.

The new body will also be responsible for accrediting journalists and media houses, as well as issuing service cards to journalists, a role that was previously handled by the Media High Council.

It will, however, not provide frequencies and licenses of operation to TV and radio operators, as that will remain the role of Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Agency.

Membership to the body is compulsory for all accredited journalists and media houses, and journalists will be provided with service cards at an annual fee of Rwf20,000.

It is also set to act as a "court of first instance” in case of complaints filed against any publication.

The body will be funded through contributions from the media fraternity, the government and development partners. The body will have two organs; the board/ethics committee which will primarily adjudicate complaints in the public’s interest, and the secretariat, which will run its day-to-day activities and mobilise funds.

After the amendment of the law in March, an interim committee of 13 members from the media, private sector and civil society, was given a six-month mandate to work on the structure of the body.

During Tuesday’s meeting, it was agreed that journalists will meet in a general assembly on September 26, to vote and elect the body’s committee board members.