Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. – Thomas Jefferson
Africa
Togo
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| IREX Score: 1.54 | [IREX Methodology] |
| {Higher is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 4.00} |
IREX Description:
Since the beginning of Togo's bumpy attempts to transition to democracy in the 1990s, its media sector has experienced a boom. Today, 98 radio stations and 12 television channels pepper the tiny West Africa country, and it has more than 40 publications, including three daily newspapers (one governmental and two private).
However, the abundance has not been matched in quality. With just a few exceptions, journalists have become mouthpieces of political parties. Insufficient training, minimal adherence to professional standards, and disregard for ethical rules are partly to blame.
Low salaries, outmoded equipment, and poor working conditions further render media professional vulnerable to all types of pressures, especially political and financial.
This year's MSI study showed clearly that in Togo, despite legislation protecting the freedom of speech, the government's lack of appropriate enforcement remains a great obstacle to the press. Another weakness of the Togolese media is that many journalists fail to observe ethics standards. Although the overall scores did not change significantly in the period under review, the score for Objective 1 (legal and social protections for freedom of speech) did dip rather dramatically, dragging the score into the unsustainable, mixed-system range. Scores increased for Objective 3 (plurality of news), and combine with steady or slightly higher ratings for the other objectives, the scores evened out—resulting in a total very close to last year's score.
| Freedom House Score: 73 (Partly Free) | [Freedom House Methodology] |
| {Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 100} |
| RSF Score: 17.00 | [RSF Methodology] |
| {Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to ~120} |
Reporters Without Borders Description:
The state of press freedom is quite good in Togo, although this is a recent development.
The long rule of former president, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, was characterised by constant threats and physical assaults against journalists. The media regulatory body, the High Authority for Broadcast and Communication (HAAC), has been strengthened and the authorities no longer call on the police or the prosecutor to resolve their quarrels with the press. Journalists do sometimes complain that they are under surveillance and even repressed by those who are nostalgic about the dictatorship. For some, self-censorship remains a survival reflex but nothing comparable with what went before.
| Committee to Protect Journalists Description: | [What is the Committee to Protect Journalists?] |
Visit CPJ’s Site for Recent Developments in this Country
| IFEX News: | [What is IFEX?] |
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