New prospects for Libya’s media as militias lose ground
By Morten Toustrup, PhD fellow at IMS
Last week’s protests in Libya’s capital Tripoli left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Fueled by public anger at the country’s multitude of militias, the protests indicate that the armed groups are losing ground, including in their ability to pressurise the media
The protests that led to the violence on Friday 15 November are part of a surge in citizen anger against the country’s militia groups, made up of thousands of men who fought Colonel Gaddafi’s forces and never laid down their arms.
Militia members residing in the Garghour area of Tripoli opened fire on protesters when they demanded the armed groups leave the capital. At least 43 were killed and 400 wounded, authorities said to international media.
With militias facing increasing popular opposition, the weak Libyan government could take advantage of the current momentum and bolster its position in the on-going power struggle over who gets to define the future path of Libya.
Absent rule of law is main obstacle
The media sector in Libya is struggling to exert its own influence over the future of the country through professional, independent journalism. Carving out a space for exercising the right to freedom of expression is proving a major challenge despite notable achievements since the fall of Colonel Gaddafi.
For the individual journalist and the media sector as a whole, the general lack of rule of law represents the main obstacle. It leaves media workers facing threats and violent attacks from a multitude of militant and political groups in their scramble for power.
Freedom of expression is provided for in principle in the country’s current legal frameworks but there is no authority to guarantee or promote the right. With no state-provided protection from the country’s warring groups, journalists impose high levels of self-censorship to stay alive, leaving crucial topics of public concern unaddressed.
Responding to the needs of the media
If the recent clashes fueling public opposition to the militias result in long-term loss of influence for the armed groups throughout the Libyan society, the state has a window of opportunity to improve the country’s rule of law. This could be a first step in the direction of providing journalists with a safe environment to practice their profession.
Hand-in-hand with that prospect comes the need for ensuring the proper professional levels of the journalistic practice. In Libya’s volatile transition period, the country’s journalists need to be able to provide accurate information and well-researched news and analysis.
To enable the media to continue to function and develop in the tough and constantly changing environment, IMS works to support the establishment of the Libyan Media Institute (LMI), a local non-governmental organisation.
LMI is set to respond to the needs of the country’s media through a capacity building progamme for newspapers, journalism training, an ongoing mapping of the Libyan media system and setting up the capacity to conduct audience research on behalf of local media outlets part of LMI with a greater understanding of the needs and wants of their readers and viewers.
Morten Toustrup, PhD fellow at IMS is doing his research on the development of the Libyan media landscape and its role in the negotiation of Libyan identities.
