Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Press Freedom and Globalisation
In practice, it should not be impossible for capable journalists to get the information
they really want. 147 In Tanzania practice depends on the actual medium’s attitude to
government. Friendly journalists are treated with an extraordinary service including trans-
port to ministers’ activities. ‘Enemies’ get nothing but a barrier. 148 In a society with poor
markets and poor journalists, such practice make media vulnerable to corruption. 149
In Kenya, the mainstream press are lobbying for a Freedom of Information Act
which would turn the present principle of secrets upside down. 150 The Official Secrets Act
says that it is an offence for any government official to communicate any information that
he has obtained owing to his position to any person he is not authorised to communicate it
to. 151 The Kenyan press wants, in principle, that everything is open information. From the
lobbying part it is claimed that the Official Secrets Act contradicts democratic rights in the
Constitution. A democratic society should allow free flow of information to increase the
level of democracy, they have argued. In their opinion ‘secrets’ are ‘interests’. The press is
capable of getting information despite the law. However, the journalists have to trust
officials and treat them as confidential sources. But a problem is that officials have
interests too, so such information is not always reliable. The areas of military and police
are most secret, and it is argued that these areas also are where there is most corruption.
The previous Kenyan government refused any open information policy. The recent
government gives mixed signals, however, positive enough to be interpreted optimistically
by the press. 152
147
Oral interview with Onyango-Obbo.
148
Oral interview with Makunga.
149
Kunczik, “Closing remarks: Is there an international ethics of journalism?”, p. 249.
150
Makali (ed.), Media Law and Practice, pp. 159-160.
151
Ibid., pp. 115-116.
152
Oral interview with Muriithi Muriuki, Political Reporter at Daily Nation/Sunday Nation in Kenya, e-mail:
fmuriithi@nation.co.ke. Interview with him at Nation Centre in Nairobi, 7 th March, 2005, about freedom
of accessing information.
102