Spirit of Tunisia’s new law on the media must be preserved

As the lawsuits pile up against the media and a campaign to discredit journalists is in full flow, Reporters Without Borders publishes an analysis of Tunisia’s media law. “The Tunisian authorities are the guarantors of this law, whose liberal spirit must be preserved at all costs,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Although not be perfect, the bill is an important and historic step forward for Tunisia. It should set a minimum standard of protection. However, for it to have any meaning, it must have the support of the authorities and be accompanied by wide-ranging reforms of the judicial and administrative machinery.” This summary highlights the various stages of the legislation and comments on its various sections. Some of these are highly positive, enshrining freedom of expression, the prohibition of abuses against journalists, transparency, media pluralism and confidentiality of sources. The analysis also notes the provisions that are problematic and suggests alternatives. Read the analysis