Media in Somalia

By Ria Shukla

B.A. (Hons) International Journalism

Somalia Profile

Population: 9.8 million (UN, 2012)

Capital: Mogadishu

Major languages: Somali, Arabic, Italian, English

Major religion: Islam

Life expectancy : 50 years (men), 53 years (women)

Monetary unit: 1 Somali shilling = 100 cents

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094546 - Facts

Short Intro to Somalia’s historySomalia is a country in Africa

The history of Somalia as a country has fragmented ever since, mainly into three

regions; South Central Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland.

South Central Somalia in particular descended into lawlessness and warfare

In 1969, Political freedoms vanished and with them independent journalism.

By 1990 – Local government collapsed.

The UN and United States sought to restructure local services

But without a convincing military presence it was difficult to sustain.

UNSOM -2 was mandated to created the peace necessary to

help reconstruct the country, but the missions ended with

the UN’s withdrawal. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Somalia-LOCAL-

GOVERNMENT.html#ixzz3KgLltUqC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-

14094503

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16866913

Freedom House2014 SCORES

PRESS STATUS --------- Not Free

PRESS FREEDOM SCORE

(0 = BEST, 100 = WORST)

82

LEGAL ENVIRONMENT

(0 = BEST, 30 = WORST)

26

POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

(0 = BEST, 40 = WORST)

34

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

(0 = BEST, 30 = WORST)

22

www.Freedomhouse.org

Background Info on media

As a June 2003 BBC report, “Somalia: Survey of the country’s media environment,” notes, the lack of a consolidated government has led to a dramatic rise in the number of media sources while simultaneously, journalists often face danger to their own lives from those who may disagree an wish to promote their own agenda or oppose the notion of a free press. Most Somali journalists operate in an environment of uncertainty. Additionally, the country’s legal system is fractured, with Shari’a (Islamic) and secular courts operating in some areas.

The media of Somalia

-A force for moderation?

“There are many battlegrounds in Somalia, but the

media is one of the most constant. If media did not

matter, the forces seeking to control the country would

not expend such energy suppressing, intimidating or co-

opting it.”

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/tru

st/pdf/bbc_world_service_trust_pb4_englis

h_web.pdf

Governance Without

GovernmentWithout a central government since 1991

Political Trends

1. Failure of repeated external efforts to revive a conventional

central government

2. Rise of local, informal polities that have increasingly

provided many Somali communities with variable levels of

governance, public security, and even social services.

http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Doc

ument&id=3341

Al - Shabaab

Somalia based militant

Al Shabaab is al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia and operates primarily

out of the country’s southern and central regions. The group is fighting

an insurgency against the internationally recognized Somali Federal

Government, which is based in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab has become adept at producing material that provides

its Western followers with an alternative to mainstream media. Relying

heavily on digital video and Twitter, the group projects an image of

itself as an effective and united force carrying out the will of God by

implementing Shariah and fighting the enemies of Islam. Twitter has

allowed the group to do much of this in real time, offering supporters

instant interpretations of events and rebuttals of critiques.

EXAMPLE- Safety of journalism in

Somalia a major concern

Aside from the various political disputes, faction fighting and demands for autonomy, all

the acts of violence against journalists have one thing in common – impunity. There has

been only one conviction in the 43 murders of journalists since 2009. The victim was

Hassan Yusuf Absuge and his killer, a member of the Al-Shabaab Islamist militia,

was summarily executed in August 2013, a sentence RWB had condemned at the

time.

Physical attacks against journalists are often the work of rebel groups such as Al-

Shabaab, which is on the Reporters Without Borders list of “Predators of Press

Freedom.” But the government is also guilty of abusing its authority with journalists,

constantly ordering illegal closures of news outlets and carrying out arbitrary arrests.

http://www.voanews.com/content/safety-of-

journalists-a-major-concern-in-

somalia/2540643.html

Life of Journalists

Journalists being killed

No pay to Journalists

Female Journalists tend to suffer the worst working conditions

and generally receive the lowest pay.

“Al-Shabab killed many people just to give a lesson to the rest,” says

journalist Faar Laman. “By killing someone, [it sends a message that] you

will be next if you don’t accept what they are saying. So it is very simple, it

is not influencing it is just giving direct orders, like don’t play music. It has

really affected the practice of journalism in South and Central Somalia.”

Freedom Of Expression

In Somaliland, publication of independent newspaper “Hubaal” was

suspended following a court order, and the authorities subsequently jailed

the paper’s manager and editor, raising concerns over freedom of the press.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/somalia-

country-of-concern/somalia-country-of-concern

Media Sector

Challenges for the

future“Training, training, training ... that’s what is

lacking. You don’t only need basic training on

being objective, but also need to give the

journalists training that gives them an

understanding of how the global media works.”

2 Principal problems facing Somali journalism –

> Intimidation > Lack of capacity

Lawless Country

http://www.umb.no/statisk/noragric/publications/reports/noragri

c_report_no._65cover.pdf

Reform Media in Somalia

There have been efforts to reform the 2007 Media Law. A draft bill is due to go before Parliament in 2014. The UK has supported the development of this law by funding a consultation among exiled journalists in the UK, where many of Somalia’s largest broadcasters are headquartered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIw0f7gp-J4

(8 min video)

Somalia- A land of

opportunity in the media

sector