The recent report of ‘Reporters without Borders’ on press freedom in 2018 has ranked Rwanda at 155 among 180 countries a rise of one position from the previous year.
Not issuing Visa and identifications to foreign journalists in need of making coverage in Rwanda, restricting journalists on airing particular issues or journalists’ self-restriction is among issues Rwanda is accused of in the report.
The Executive Secretary of Media High Council (MHC), Peacemaker Mbungiramihigo has blamed the ranking given to Rwanda that it mismatches with the truth considering the current progress of media in Rwanda.
“The report is biased. It is not based on research depicting current status of press freedom in Rwanda including rebuilding, revising laws and establishment of bodies pushing forward media development,” he said.
Mbungiramihigo explained that no violence or imprisonment cases of journalists for making a particular story in Rwanda. He said there is an online platform facilitating foreign journalists to get accreditation to cover news in Rwanda.
“They nowadays use Irembo platform. The technology enables fast approval to a journalist from abroad applying for accreditation filling requirements,” said Mbungiramihigo.
In 2017 MHC issued 243 accreditations to foreign journalists, 218 in 2018 and has issued 244 accreditations to foreign journalists since January 2019 up to date.
Reporters without Borders report indicates that the number of violence cases against journalists reduced but pointed out intimidation of reporters on particular issues and self-restrictions fearing to disclose sensitive content to the government.
Marie Immaculée Ingabire, the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda (TIR) observed that media in Rwanda has attained a great milestone concerning press freedom within 25 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Ingabire said there should be no comparison to the past where there was one radio controlled by the government while newspapers were seriously censored.
“Comparing it to the past is wrong. Today, we have over 30 radios and a variety of online media uneasy to take control of. Every morning, citizens have a choice to call any radio to share their views. What the citizen is going to share life is known but he/she is not intimidated,” she explained.
Ingabire expressed dissatisfaction with the ranking considering the current progress of media in Rwanda including the law on access to information where a leader declining to provide information can be taken to court, removing media defamation from crimes and establishing private Rwanda Media Commission.
“It is apparent to everyone that they are biased. There are no facts except provocations. As a result, no one is interested in it,” she said.
“When you do something to tarnish someone’s reputation, the work done becomes nonsense,” added Ingabire.
The report also draws attention on journalists who fled the country, the media law of 2010 and the closure of BBC Kinyarwanda.
Albert Rudatsimburwa, the owner of Contact Radio and TV who has been in the media for 15 years said there is press freedom in Rwanda. He quashed the report of Reporters without Borders that it is not clear how media can be left behind amidst Rwanda’s progress in different areas. He observed that there are political powers behind such reports.
“We have been in the same ranking in different reports released. That is how you realize the reports are politically inclined because these organizations are not independent,” said Rudatsimburwa.
He explained that Reporters without Borders is based in France ‘which has been talking about Rwanda negatively since the rule of Mitterrand’.
The 2018 report on media development indicates that Rwandans trust media at 75% while media freedom is rated at 81.3%.
Since 2004, Rwanda’s media began constant evolution with the increase of private radios and televisions and online media.
Statistics from Rwanda Media Commission indicates that Rwanda has 34 radios, 14 televisions, 46 newspapers of which 10 shut down and 88 websites (online media).
