Workshop on review of legal framework of Malian media opens
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - A four-day workshop on the review of the legal framework of the Malian media opened in Bamako on Monday.
It is initiated by the Maison de la Presse, in collaboration with the High Authority for Communication (HAC) and the Ministry in charge of Communication.
The workshop aims to redefine the status of the professional journalist, the professionally published online press, clarify the status of personal websites and blogs published on a non-professional basis.
It also aims to define press offences and to propose financial sanctions rather than deprivation of liberty.
Mali has, to date, nearly 500 private radio stations and 200 publications written in French and national languages.
It also has about 60 online media (portals, newspapers, web TV) and about 40 television channels, noted the president of the journalists of Mali, Bandiougou Danté.
The workshop is expected to provide the country with a legal and regulatory framework governing the media sector, adapted to the requirements and the current environment.
"In the current context of rebuilding the Malian State and with the arrival of new actors in the media landscape, it is necessary to assess the path taken, to analyse without complacency, the strengths and weaknesses of our legal and regulatory arsenal in order to identify ways to adapt it to the current environment," said Danté.
"We have a duty, men of the press, statesmen and Malian citizens, to rebuild our country, to give it a second chance," said Minister Toureh, confirming that the rebuilding of the State necessarily requires the active involvement of the media.
The Malian state provides 300 million CFA francs as subsidies to private media.
-0- PANA GT/JSG/BBA/MA 12Oct2021
