Thirteen African media councils have formed an organisation that will bring independent media content regulators together to discuss media freedom, ethics and public accountability.
In an African first, the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa has been formed to enable professional media to report freely, without fear of reprisal, while being accountable for upholding ethical standards and codes of practice.
Nimca calls on independent media regulators in other African countries to join the organisation, which will convene regularly to discuss the strengthening of media freedom, ethics and public accountability across the continent. The Cape Town meeting took place during Africa Month and shortly after World Press Freedom Day. A range of issues was discussed, from the governance of digital platforms and companies, to developing a pan-African media ethics framework, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s principles for a communications regulatory system that fosters ethical and credible journalism.
In a fast-changing digital environment, the media regulatory bodies said they need to provide guidance on how media should deal with ethical issues related to the emergence of artificial intelligence, convergence, and the need for new journalism curricula and training models. The councils urged journalists, photographers and other media practitioners to uphold the basic tenets of journalism to fend off state regulation and punitive measures by those in positions of power.
Delegates from Unesco also participated in the meeting and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to support and collaborate with African media councils in advocating for freedom of expression, universal access to verified information, and safety of journalists and media professionals in line with regional and internationally agreed goals and frameworks.
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