Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Press Freedom and Globalisation
powerful institutions. In this regard, the mass media play the role of providing the needed
flow of information. 2
In Western democracies, the mass media have developed to enable the flow of
information necessary for popular rule. These democracies and their mass media are
intertwined. 3 However, the mass media need freedom to play such a role. From this point
of view, the mass media’s mandate is derived from the people, not from authorities. The
ideal is that the mass media would then ensure that the authorities always serve people and
not any other goals. 4
The focus of attention is on two regions and two countries; Scandinavia as
represented by Norway, and East Africa as represented by Kenya. These are quite different
from each other, yet, the regions are connected to each other. Norway and Scandinavia are
considered to rank at the top of press freedom and are among those that spearhead further
development of democratic instruments. 5 The East African countries are not at the bottom
level of press freedom. However, these are still among poor countries where press freedom
needs to be improved. 6 Additionally, press freedoms in those regions are interconnected
because the Scandinavian countries link their aid politics to press freedom. 7 Due to the
attention to Scandinavia and East Africa, a North-South perspective will be emphasised in
this study.
2
Stiglitz, Joseph, “Transparency in Government” in World Bank, The Right To Tell : The Role of Mass
Media in Economic Development (Washington: The World Bank/WBI Development Studies, 2002), pp.
27-29 and 32-34.
3
Gunther, Richard and Mughan, Anthony, “The Media in Democratic and Nondemocratic Regimes: A
Multilevel Perspective” in Gunther, Richard and Mughan, Anthony (eds.), Democracy and the Media : A
Comparative Perspective (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), pp. 1-3, Altschull, J. Herbert,
From Milton to McLuhan : The Ideas Behind American Journalism (New York: Longman, 1990), pp. 1-6.
4
Stiglitz, “Transparency in Government”, pp. 27-43.
5
Herbert, John, Practising Global Journalism : exploring reporting issues worldwide (Oxford: Focal Press,
2001), pp. 69 and 88.
6
Merrill, John C., Global Journalism : Survey of International Communication : third edition (New York:
Longman Publishers, 1994), p. 71; and International Press Institute, IPI Report 2003 : World Press
Freedom Review (Vienna: The International Press Institute, 2003), pp. 27, 48 and 50.
7
Statens Forvaltningstjeneste, St.prp. nr. 1 : (2003-2004) : for budsjetterminen 2004 : Utenriksdepartementet
(Oslo: Statens Forvaltningstjeneste, 2003), pp. 91-92 and 137; and Bourgault, Louise M., Mass Media in
Sub-Saharan Africa (Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1995), p. 128.
3