The Mauritanian Journalists' Union has welcomed the step taken by the High Authority for the Press and Audiovisual (HAPA) to issue a preliminary list of national media outlets that meet an acceptable level of professional and institutional standards, describing it as an important development in organising the media sector and enforcing the laws that govern it.
In a statement, the union said that adopting clear criteria for assessing media outlets would help organise the media landscape, strengthen its credibility and curb the disorder and shortcomings the sector has experienced. It stressed that the classification process must be objective and transparent and take into account the professional and social rights of employees at the outlets concerned.
The union called on HAPA to consult trade union and professional bodies, and to give outlets that believe they were wronged or unfairly classified the opportunity to file appeals and explain their situation, and to handle those appeals seriously and fairly.
The statement stressed that respect for the professional and social rights of journalists and media workers should be a key condition for classification and accreditation, saying that no outlet can be considered to meet professional and institutional requirements unless it respects the rights of its employees and provides a working environment that safeguards their dignity and professional independence.
The union also demanded that the reform and evaluation process include press, trade union and professional bodies, under clear legal and professional criteria that guarantee equal opportunities and respect for pluralism, with journalists' representatives involved at every stage of organisation and reform.
It renewed its support for all efforts to apply the law without selectivity and to entrench transparency, fairness and consultation, so as to build a professional and pluralistic media landscape that preserves the independence of outlets and the rights of journalists.
