TELLING IT LIKE IT IS: TUNISIAN JOURNALISTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001575 SIPDIS SIPDIS DRL (JOHNSTONE/KLARMAN) NEA/PPD (DOUGLAS/CURRY) AND NEA/MAG (HOPKINS/HARRIS) LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KPAO TS SUBJECT: TELLING IT LIKE IT IS: TUNISIAN JOURNALISTS DISCUSS MEDIA REF: A. TUNIS 1566 ¶B. TUNIS 1531 Classified By: DCM Marc Desjardins for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On December 10, Matt Shelley, Director of the MEPI-funded International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Middle East North Africa (MENA) Media Project, held a roundtable discussion with Tunisian journalists on the local media environment and IREX activities in the region. Several journalists expressed interest in IREX-sponsored training, but agreed that holding such training in Tunisia is problematic. The assembled journalists opined that the problems with freedom of expression in Tunisia do not stem solely from the quality of journalists or journalism, but are more broadly caused by the restrictions imposed on them by the government. Divisions on how journalists should organize themselves were aired. The most specific assistance requested focused on help with investigative journalism, layout design, and market research. End Summary. -------------- IREX MENA Programs -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Matt Shelley, Director of the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX),MEPI-funded MENA Media Project, held a roundtable discussion with a group of prominent Tunisian journalists on December 10. He began by explaining the different types of IREX projects, ranging from training lawyers on how to defend journalists and providing grants to documentary film producers to helping governments design new freedom of information laws and offering fellowships for media professionals in the United States. Shelley added that in Morocco, IREX has assisted with market research to help media outlets identify their target audience and better market themselves to advertisers. -------------- Not In Tunisia... -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The journalists explained that, unfortunately, local conditions do not lend themselves towards the implementation of IREX's projects. For example, Bouazza Ben Bouazza of the Associated Press opined that any training programs IREX might try to hold would have to contend with GOT sensitivity about sovereignty issues. Foreign funding is a sensitive issue and generally "badly received." Moncef Ben M'Rad, founder of the French weekly Realites and editor-in-chief of the Arabic weekly Akhbar al-Joumhouria, added that Tunisians are hesitant to accept funding from the American government because they disagree with American foreign policy in the region. In addition, Ben M'Rad opined that there is a general sentiment in the Arab world that Americans view all Arabs as backwards oil-rich countries. He concluded that Arabs want democracy, but are reluctant to align themselves with American organizations because they distrust the underlying motivations of these groups. Despite the difficulties involved, Ben M'Rad said that programs concerning investigative journalism, layout design, and market research would all be useful. Rachid Khachana, editor-in-chief of the opposition weekly al-Mowqif, noted that market research has not been done in Tunisia for over fifteen years and that Tunisia lacks the technical expertise to conduct such research. Ben Bouazza added that such research is useless as most advertising in Tunisia is assigned by the Tunisian Agency for External Communication (ATCE, see Ref A). -------------- The Price of Independence -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Lotfi Hajji, President of the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate (SJT),explained that Tunisia has many qualified professionals, but they cannot do their jobs because the government "has full control" of the media environment. He opined that quality journalists in Tunisia have two options: they can leave and work abroad, or they can stay and become "less than ordinary journalists." Khachana concurred, and said the biggest hurdle for journalists is that they lack an environment in which they can evolve. When Shelley mentioned that IREX often works on media-related laws, Zied El Hani, a journalist from as-Sahafa (a government-run Arabic daily) said that Tunisian laws regarding journalism are liberal, but their implementation is quite the opposite. Ghassan Ksibi, a journalist from the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT) Arabic-weekly ach-Shaab, said that media development faces three major challenges. First, he said, the government will not issue media licenses (such as permission to start a radio station) to those who are not "docile." Second, he said, there are problems with access to information, and finally there is an unofficial understanding that there are "red lines" that journalists should not cross. He lamented the fact that the most independent papers lack skills and capacity, while the media outlets with skills and capacity lack independence. Because of this, he concluded that the best support for Tunisian journalists would be assistance in creating and/or reinforcing independent institutions that defend freedom of expression. -------------- Airing Dirty Laundry -------------- ¶5. (C) Several journalists touched on the Tunisian Journalists Association (AJT) vs. Tunisian Journalists Syndicate (SJT) issue, which is proving to be divisive. Hajji has been attempting to register the independent journalists' union for several years. The transformation of the more government-friendly Tunisian Journalists' Association (AJT) into a competing (legally recognized) union seems to be the final nail in the coffin for Hajji's efforts to register the SJT (Ref B). When Hajji asked about training opportunities, El Hani criticized him for seeking other people's ideas opining that, as the leader of a union, Hajji should be formulating his own plan for advancing media issues. Khachana has previously said he and a group of like-minded journalists are working to reverse the AJT's transformation into a union while others (like El Hani) have criticized Hajji's leadership. The SJT's next steps will likely depend on whether or not the AJT chooses to move forward as a union or revert to its previous status as an association. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) The sad reality is that the problems of freedom of expression in Tunisia cannot be resolved by training more journalists. Until the GOT eases up on its nearly complete control of the domestic media, there will be no public debate on issues of importance. The fact that the journalists used this roundtable discussion at the embassy to exchange barbs over the Syndicate vs. Union conundrum is in part because they have few other venues at which to express these views. The Embassy sends some journalists to the US as part of the International Visitor program and funds a program for journalists to study English, but off-shore activities by NGOs such as IREX that address strategies for increasing media independence and especially exposure to counterparts from around the region would be particularly helpful. End Comment. GODEC