Media stakeholders to form technical team to draft code of conduct

A technical team drawn from the media industry in consultation with the federal and state governments will be tasked with the drafting of the code of conduct for journalists in line with the Media Act, state and media stakeholders have said.

Federal and state government’s information ministers alongside journalist organisations meeting in Mogadishu said Saturday in a communique they agreed to form a technical team to draft the code of conduct to guide media practice in the country.

Information Minister Abdirahman Yarisow tabled the Media Act 2015 Amendment Bill in the Lower House last month and the House is yet to debate. The Bill which introduces amendments following concerns from the media industry and international media organisations seeks to among others create the National Media Council which will be responsible for regulating media practice in Somalia. The Media Act came into force in 2015.

The stakeholders also agreed to take into consideration views from federal member states regarding the media bill and the same be submitted to the national assembly for inclusion during the parliamentary debate.

Other issues agreed on by the stakeholders include coherent messaging between the federal and state ministries of information regarding cross cutting issues such as fighting extremism and countering wrong ideologies among others.

The meeting also resolved that security agencies must investigate perpetrators of acts of impunity against journalists in the country.