Title: Reform of the UNPC: towards a new era for the press in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Introduction :
In a context where the journalistic profession in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) often finds itself confronted with challenges related to ethics and deontology, the National Union of the Press of Congo (UNPC) has undertaken a major reform to improve media regulation. In this article, we will examine the recent advances of the UNPC in its quest for restructuring and capacity building, as well as the challenges associated with this process.
The need for reform:
Following the recommendations issued during the General Assembly on Communication and the Media in January 2022, it became clear that the UNPC’s statutory texts were the source of many internal conflicts. It therefore became imperative to revise these texts to guarantee better regulation of the media and preservation of journalistic ethics.
The objectives of the reform:
The reform of the UNPC has several objectives. First of all, it is a question of presenting to the stakeholders the new framework of the UNPC, including new statutes and internal regulations. This new structure will then be submitted to the examination of the National Press Congress, which will be held shortly.
Next, the reform aims to inform the government of the progress made in the institutional reorganization of the UNPC, while stressing the need for a financing plan for the UNPC Congress.
The stages of the reform:
To carry out this reform, a scientific committee composed of former presidents of the UNPC, experts in journalism and law, as well as media professionals has been set up. This committee worked in two stages.
Initially, the work of the experts consisted of merging the three existing statutes into a single text, as well as updating the administrative and financial procedures manual. In a second step, during the plenary of the Scientific Committee, the observations were integrated into the statutory, regulatory and procedural documents of the UNPC.
The implications of the reform:
This reform of the UNPC aims to strengthen ethical and deontological standards within the Congolese press. By ensuring that these standards are met by all actors in the profession, it is hoped that the Congolese media landscape will be improved and that public confidence in the media will be strengthened.
Conclusion :
The reform undertaken by the UNPC marks an important step in improving media regulation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By emphasizing ethics and deontology, the UNPC wishes to guarantee quality journalism and access to reliable information for all Congolese.. It now remains to follow the next stages of this reform, in particular the National Press Congress, to see how these changes will materialize on the ground