the legal system and democratic country.
According to Article 48, paragraph 1,
all citizens have the right to freedom of
expression, freedom of press and right to
information. Censorship is prohibited by
the Constitution (Article 48, paragraph
2), and press freedom includes freedom
of expression, access to information and
the right for journalists to protect the
source of information and freedom for
creation of newsletters, publications and
other means for dissemination of information (Article 48, paragraph 3).
However, despite this optimistic
scenario, media professionals and civil
society have called for legal reforms in
the media sector and pushing for a more
pragmatic legal landscape on Press Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Right to
Information because the prevailing legal
gaps pose serious challenges towards full
enjoyment of these freedoms.
In general, the current media scenario is characterised by:
a. A press law in force for 20 years
whose revision is so far stagnant;
b. Apparent indecision about whether
to introduce or not the Journalists Professional Practicing License
(which is probably dependent on the
Revision of the Press Law);
c. Inexistence of a broadcasting law
that is actually being drafted by the
Information office of Mozambique
(GABINFO) whose content is still unknown;
d. The challenge of technological
migration from analogue to digital (until 2015) that is inclusive and
guarantees ordinary people access
to information;
e. The absence of a law on access to in-

formation, whose draft was already
submitted to the Parliament in 2005;
f. The persistence of vices of unconstitutionality by legislative omission,
i.e., the existence of constitutional
rights that are not yet enjoyed because of lack of specific legislation
or regulation; and,
g. The existence of laws that restrict
freedom of expression and the press
(so-called anti-media laws ).



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The revision of the Press Law was
launched in 2006. The process is being
led by the GABINFO, with the involvement of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) the Association of Mozambican
Editors (EDITMOZ), the Media Institute
of Southern Africa Mozambique Chapter
(MISA-Mozambique) and the Association of Media Companies (Associação de
Empresas Jornalísticas - AEJ). It was foreseen that the revision would have come
to an end in 2007 but since then no further action had been taken.

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One of the topics of greatest interest and controversy is related to the
introduction of the professional practicing license. The proposal suggests that a
professional practicing license should be
a prerequisite for a journalist to work as
such. The Government, following a proposal from media professional organiza-





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