SECTOR 4

4. What are the main obstacles for further positive
change?
•
•
•

The economic viability of private sector media;
The absence of the political will on the part of the ruling party to broaden
the scope of democratic freedom and rights and entrench the values of liberal
democracy in the country;
The continued existence, in its present state, of Law number 10/02 of 16
August 2002, also known as the State Secrets Law.

What activities will need to be
undertaken in the next two years?
The participants took note of the relatively low score achieved by Angola during
this exercise and considered this not to be very encouraging. In this regard, they
were of the view that there is a need for journalists to build alliances with other
civil society organisations in order to jointly seek to constructively engage the
government in an effort to improve the state of the freedom of expression and the
freedom of the press in Angola. As part of this effort one of the activities that need
to be undertaken is the lobbying of the government so as to regulate the Press Law
and thereby close some of the existing gaps that have become a hindrance to the
full application of the law.
On the other hand, the participants stressed the need for journalists to develop a
culture of participation in civil society organisations, particularly those related to
the media, as a way of strengthening the media sector and improving its ability to
influence both the government as well as society at large.
Lastly, there was a sentiment that issues pertaining to the media, freedom
of expression and press freedom require constant attention and that there is a
need for professional organisations in Angola to establish strategic bilateral
and multilateral relations of solidarity and cooperation with their regional and
international counterparts. Such initiatives can go a long way in helping efforts
aimed at finding solutions to common problems.

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ANGOLA 2010

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