Corrupts, Foreign Funding Banned From Media Investment in Algeria
The new media bill came to end those – whom he described – as “intruders, owners of corrupt money, and adherents of foreign funding who have extended their dominance over the audiovisual sector in Algeria”, Communications Minister Mohamed Bouslimani said.
“The new draft law, which is on the parliament table, obliges the media to disclose their sources of funding and investments in the future, to ensure transparency and clarity in media investment” considering, during his intervention on the sidelines of the discussion of the new media bill at the level of the Media and Culture Committee of the National People’s Assembly, “that “the rush of intruders, owners of corrupt money, and adherents of external funding led to the dominance of some of them over the media sector, especially in the audiovisual field”, he explained.
According to the minister, this situation requires protecting the profession and its credibility by setting rules and controls that oblige the media to declare the source of the invested funds and those necessary for their operation and to prove the possession of pure national capital.
“The new provisions of the draft law related to media in the field of written and electronic press are based on establishing the declarative system about the written and electronic press. The latter is based on the principle enshrined in Article 54 of the 2020 Constitution, instead of the accreditation currently in force”, he added.
The text of the new draft, which will be widely discussed at the level of the specialized committee, stipulates the establishment of an authority to control the written and e-media, which is a public body with a legal personality that is concerned with the tasks of managing the activity of the written and electronic media.
In the field of freedom and responsibility, the chief official in charge of the media sector emphasized laying the foundations for ensuring a professional media practice that balances press freedom and professional responsibility, by setting guarantees for the journalists who devote their right to freedom of expression and search for information, while granting them legal protection for their work while preserving their right to refuse to publish or broadcast any literary property, whether it is news, an article, or a work that has undergone substantial changes without their consent.
Given the impact of information on public opinion, and to put an end to the spread of fake and malicious information, the project approved the obligation of the journalist to scrutinize the information and verify its authenticity, source, and credibility before publishing or broadcasting it through the media.
To upgrade the quality of media service, the new draft law, according to the minister, was keen to adjust concepts related to the journalist, journalistic activity, and the status of a professional journalist that defines the way of organizing his mission.
To address irresponsible media practices, the minister revealed the creation of a Supreme Council of Professional Ethics and Practices, consisting of 12 members, half of whom are appointed by the President of the Republic, from among competencies, personalities and researchers with experience in the field of journalism, and the other half are elected from among journalists and publishers involved in certified national professional organizations.
It is known that the text of the new draft on the parliament table will be the subject of discussion within the committee, which has scheduled closed sessions at the weekend, in the presence of specialists, experts and professionals in the sector, to present new amendments to the draft.
