Television stations have traditionally reserved the majority of airtime for entertainment shows during the holy month of Ramadan. This seasonal exception is, however, becoming the rule throughout the entire year, as stations continue to shed their political programming. Not only are Tunisians overcome by « news fatigue », but also apolitical shows are far more conducive to product placement.
Tunisia: Control and resistance in the media
Tunisian prime minister Hichem Mechichi failed to appoint a former collaborator of the Ben Ali regime—who today maintains close ties to Ennahdha—as director of the country’s national press agency. Mechichi’s failed attempt confirms the parliamentary majority’s eagerness to control the media, in spite of the sector’s resistance.
Media and corruption: Disappointed with ISIE, HAICA turns to INLUCC
On February 18, the High Independent Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA) appealed to the Anti-Corruption Authority (INLUCC) regarding illicit broadcasting by three television and radio stations. The outlets in question, which air their programs without a HAICA-issued license to operate, are Nessma TV, Zitouna TV and radio station Quran Karim.
National Security : Are Tunisian Media Resigned to Normalization?
With war waged against terrorism, questions of ethics and deontology have faded into the background. In the meantime, media treatment of the Bardo Attack is a textbook case of politicization that allows us to measure the ambiguity of relations between media and power. The trigger effect of security discourse has mobilized judiciary and police organs born and bred under a dictatorship that was immune to the threat of terrorism. To what extent can regulations contain this return to normalization?
Tunisia’s Political Elite and Mainstream Media on Bardo
Given mainstream Western media’s portfolio of news reports on Tunisia since 2011 and also in light of the country’s constitutional guarantee for a pluralistic and fair media, it is regrettable as seems to be the case in the days and weeks that have followed the attack that foreign press should be granted more access to events of public interest in the capital than many local, independent media outlets.
Tunisia: Media Sink Back into Collusion ahead of run-off vote
In this extremely polarized electoral context, how did the media frame the public discussion and shaped the public opinion? A very bad role, if one believes the 3rd report of Independent High Authority for Audio-Visual Communication (Haica) on the political pluralism, which points the partiality of the audio-visual coverage of the presidential campaigns. Furthermore, the press took a dangerous turn when being engulfed in shifting sands of propaganda and voluntary complicity. But these repetitions seem to worry neither the politicians, nor the journalists.
Tunisia: Harmonizing Politics and Media for and before the Elections
As much as instruments to monitor and ensure transparency and the constitutional operation of state powers and processes, the HAICA and the ISIE are, just several months into their roles, equally accountable for their own transparency and constitutional operation. The next six months will not only measure their competency and capacity to fulfill this dual responsability but will more generally decide the nature and successfulness of elections and the direction of the country through and beyond the transition period.
Tunisia: Independence of HAICA should be protected
ARTICLE 19, BBC Media Action, Community Media Solutions (CMS), The Euro -Mediterranean Foundation for Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRN), […]
Open letter concerning the setting up of the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA)
An open letter, issued Monday 25 March, to Tunisian President Marzouki, Speaker Ben Jaafar and Premier Larayed, in which the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT), the National Authority to Reform Information and Communication (INRIC) and the General Syndicate of Culture and Information…
Tunisia: Illegal appointments to leading positions in public medias
[…] the appointments of the new directors at public broadcasting organisations are illegal. Article 19 of Decree-Law 2011-116 of 2 November 2011 stipulates that such appointments must be made in full consultation with the High Authority for Audovisual Communications (HAICA) […]