Title: The controversy surrounding the bill on the Superior Council of Communication in Ouagadougou
Introduction:
In Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, a draft law is currently generating strong reactions from journalists and professional media organizations. Presented during the last Council of Ministers, this project proposes that the President of the Republic can directly appoint the president of the Superior Council of Communication (CSC), an institution responsible for regulating the media and managing radio and television frequencies. This proposal was strongly contested by Burkinabè journalists, who see it as a threat to the independence of the press.
The reform called into question:
According to local media, this reform calls into question the very notion of the independence of the institution and the decisions it could take in the future. Indeed, the direct appointment of the president of the CSC by the presidency could lead to political influence on the decisions and orientation of this regulatory body. Journalists fear this could endanger press freedom and media objectivity.
Two opposing visions:
On the one hand, the Minister of Communication, Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, defends this reform by emphasizing that it would allow greater flexibility in the operation of the CSC, guarantee its stability and broaden its scope of intervention. According to him, this measure would also make it possible to regulate the media but also social networks, by considering profiles with more than 5,000 subscribers as media in their own right, subject to the same rules as traditional media.
On the other hand, Burkinabè journalists and professional media organizations firmly oppose this reform. They believe that the presidency should stick to its role as guarantor of respect for press freedom, without directly intervening in appointments within the CSC. For them, the independence of this body is essential to ensure impartial regulation of the media and preserve democracy.
Conclusion:
The controversy surrounding the bill on the Superior Council of Communication in Ouagadougou highlights the importance of the independence of media regulatory bodies in maintaining press freedom and democracy. Burkinabè journalists continue to actively oppose this reform and ask the Legislative Assembly not to adopt it. The evolution of this situation remains to be closely monitored, as it could have a significant impact on the media landscape in Burkina Faso.