IMS Assessment Mission: The Rwanda Media Experience from the Genocide

This report explores Rwanda's media experience from the genocide, its consequences on the media sector, and the lessons to learn and share with journalists in countries facing conflicts. It presents the Rwandan context (politically, socially, economically).

The report further analyses what happened before and during the genocide in the Rwandan media. It then looks at the situation of Rwandan media from after 1994 until today, analysing the consequences of what happened during the genocide on today's media-sector. This report then draws the lessons learned from the Rwanda media experience and proposes what can be shared with journalists in conflict-faced countries.

From the document: "Some lessons have been learnt from the role of the media during the genocide and some can be shared with journalists facing similar crisis in their country:

• Professional training of journalists... is crucial to avoid such developments. Journalists who are well educated, who know journalism-ethics and who are conscious of their social responsibility are not easy to manipulate. Journalists should also learn conflict reporting. It will prevent them from being manipulated. Reliable journalism will also help citizens to take well-informed decisions and thus avoid or solve a conflict....
• Organizing the profession is also essential to become more independent towards authorities. A professional organization might also help journalists to get better salaries and working-conditions so they are not so easily attracted by doubtful propositions. Therefore some attempts in Rwanda with the Press-house and the journalists’ association.
• Independent bodies to regulate the profession and protect media from interference have to be established. One independent licensing authority should for example be responsible for public and privately funded broadcasting. Licences should be given according to criteria where political and ethnic opinions are balanced. Such a body exists in South Africa with success. The Rwandan High Press Council is a first attempt of the kind. Its composition does not show independence from the government. Its mission reveals that the cabinet will still control the media. The role of the media is often underestimated in a democratisation-process. But real democracy cannot be achieved if citizens are not informed nor are allowed to express their points of view.
• The public broadcaster should be made independent from the government, with an independently appointed board of directors, own budget and editorial freedom. Radio Rwanda and Télévision Nationale du Rwanda are still government-controlled.
• A legal framework with safeguards against future violations of recognized norms for media activity has to be elaborated. Professionals should be consulted during the elaboration of the law. Independent courts must exist to implement the law. A new press law has been adopted in Rwanda, but several articles can be interpreted in such a way that authorities can used them to limit the freedom of expression and gain control the media.
• The last advice comes from a Rwandan journalist who advised colleagues from copying non-resident international media who, because they do not know the culture and local languages, often will use witnesses turning out to be false in their reporting."