Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Press Freedom and Globalisation
cultures in East Africa. Such values guide selection and approaches to content. Such
cultural values explain differences in publishing practices. Further, East African practice is
influenced by British traditions which are different from Scandinavia in these matters. 4
Concerning reports on crimes, Scandinavian media ethics tend to support a Scandinavian
criminal policy that is more concerned with rehabilitation than with punishment. 5
The Aspect of Protection of Journalistic Activities
Similarities in the two regions are most clear in declared media ethics. These concern
protection and independence towards authorities, external commercial forces, owners and
other private actors. The ideals within the press are similar in the two regions.
Differences are large when it comes to the practice in Scandinavia and East Africa.
A journalist in Scandinavia risks some harsh words. That is nothing compared to
colleagues in East Africa who risk harassment and danger, even though the possible
assassination of journalists has subsided. In Scandinavia, courts have expressed views that
journalists should enjoy extraordinary protection, just the way it is for government officials
on duty. The reason is that the media perform an important function in society. Such kind
of notion has started to emerge in East Africa when an editor in 2005 was found not guilty
of theft of a videocassette. The Kenyan court said the theft was not an issue when it
considered the importance of the revealed information for the society as being more
important than the State’s information monopoly. However, the everyday life for
journalists in East Africa is different from that in Scandinavia. The Scandinavian model of
barriers between owners and editorial departments is the ideal in East Africa, but it is not
upheld as a principle.
4 Herbert, Practising Global Journalism, p. 74.
5 Jones, Mass Media Codes of Ethics and Councils, p. 31.
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