Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Press Freedom and Globalisation
There is also the questions of the capacity of a free press. East Africa has less
capacity than Scandinavia. The ‘journalistic capacity’ indicates how strong media are able
to play their role as watchdog. Even if the level of press freedom was similar in the two
regions, it would be different in practice. Each journalist in Scandinavia caters for about
500 people, in East Africa each journalist caters for about 20,000 people. This makes the
abilities to fulfil media’s social responsibility different.
The Aspect of the Press’ Role
Similarities of the role of the press in these countries are to be found in the constitutions,
they all guarantee freedom of expression although the practice is different. Countries in
both regions regard media self-regulation as a way of maintaining independence. In this,
the Scandinavinans are ahead of the East Africans.
Countries in both regions have a number of laws whose purposes are different.
Regulations in Scandinavia ensure diversity or other democratic values. Similar reasons are
used for some arrangements of financial incentives to the press in Scandinavia. In East
Africa such practice has recently emerged in Tanzania where some taxes on media have
been waived. Other financial incentives to media in East Africa have been given due to
rulers’ propaganda aims or national ownership. In all countries in these regions, public
funded state owned broadcasters have had a prominent role. A major problem for East
African media is poor markets due to poverty. Welfare and good markets can provide
Scandinavian media with a quite different level of income. These resources are employed
in an extensive journalistic capacity. Scandinavian media’s resources and position make
them powerful in advocating their own interests in the society.
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