Without an independent press and a fair access to information efforts to combat poverty and end conflict are futile. A free press promotes transparency and enables different perspectives to be heard. It engages a broader public in debate, for example in the run-up to elections or during processes of legislative reform. Against the backdrop of violent conflict and political upheaval, being able to access a broad range of information is crucial if a peaceful solution is to be found.
The SDC considers these issues to be paramount. It has therefore long been working to enhance press freedom in Tunisia, Tanzania and the Great Lakes Region. It is campaigning for a set of framework conditions to be drawn up to enable journalists to report independently and without fear of harm. The SDC is also helping to promote the establishment of professional and ethical journalism.
In Tunisia, the SDC is working with the Fondation Hirondelle to bolster local radio stations. Khadija Chouika is a reporter for Radio Tunis Chaîne Internationale (RTCI). She is witnessing first-hand the “revolution” currently sweeping through the Tunisian media landscape. In 2014, she was one of 14 journalists from Switzerland and abroad to take part in the “En quête d’ailleurs” (Looking Beyond) project supported by the SDC.
Khadija Chouika, how would you describe the situation of the media in Tunisia today?
This is an extraordinary time for Tunisia on all levels. Four years on from the ousting of the former president Ben Ali, the media sector is now looking to instigate its own revolution. Journalists want access to sophisticated tools to enable their profession to advance and develop, to safeguard their independence and to free themselves from the ingrained shackles of self-censorship.
What do you mean?
For decades, Tunisian journalists have been used to working with restricted and censored information – in some case even with downright lies – against the backdrop of an impoverished media in terms of both quality and quantity. The majority of the media during the Ben Ali era was nicknamed “the media of shame”. Today journalists are beginning to express themselves more freely, and, as in the streets, they are finally daring to speak out in their articles. It would appear, though, that the media needs to be completely restructured in order for it to “unlearn” longstanding habits.
So what line should the media take in supporting political transition in Tunisia?
A neutral and objective one. Journalists must avoid being partisan. They must report the truth exactly as it is and not manipulate it. The primary aim of the press should be to give the public the necessary tools to enable them to form an opinion on any and all issues which concern them. Once the public have access to transparent, balanced information they will be far better equipped to take decisions and action at their local level. The only restriction I can see which might legitimately be placed on the right to information is the confidentiality requirement that we, as journalists, must observe in relation to terrorism-related security issues.
Through the Fondation Hirondelle, the SDC is backing a support programme for public radio stations in Tunisia. Are you seeing positive results from this?
Yes. The project has endeavoured to turn several regional radio stations into professional information channels. With the SDC’s support it has been possible to fund the development of new programmes and to train presenters and journalists in better content-management. This is promoting investigative journalism which complies with the applicable journalistic and ethics codes.
To round off, tell us a bit about the journalist exchange programme “En quête d’ailleurs” in which you took part in 2014. What did you gain from the experience on a personal level?
It was a hugely valuable experience, both professionally and personally. The project gave me an opportunity to meet other journalists, both Swiss and foreign, from eight countries and to work on what was an engaging topic and one by which we were all affected: the ‘migration equation’. I found learning about our respective practices extremely valuable. I teamed up with a journalist from Radio Télévision Suisse who came and spent a fortnight in Tunisia after I had spent a week working alongside them in Switzerland.
