news room/in focus/2010/WPFD

03 May 2010

Transparency and the right to know
The price of reporting on corruption
Tell us what you’ve done!
Seeking access to information
Working with journalists
Further information
Contact

Transparency and the right to know

A free press speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. Journalists become the eyes, ears and voice of victims of corruption. Transparency International (TI) supports and promotes a free and responsible press to seek accountability, to stop perpetrators from acting with impunity and to promote the transparency that empowers citizens to make informed decisions.

When journalists uncover entrenched corrupt practices we witness the egregious absence of integrity in countries rich and poor, and become inspired to fight corruption. When they show how corruption diminishes the functioning of our societies, we feel compelled to act. The emergence of new non-profit news organisations that are also exploring the use of citizen reporting is an empowering and welcome development.

A strong alliance between the media and civil society organisations boosts the watchdog functions of both for the public good, and keeps accountability and transparency high on the world’s agenda.

The price of reporting on corruption

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It takes bravery and commitment to report on corruption. In the past decade TI’s Integrity Awards have gone to six journalists from different countries. Three of these were posthumous tributes. They were not free to expose corruption.

One of TI’s first Integrity Award winners in 2000 was Sri Lankan newspaper editor Lasantha Wickramatunga, a journalist committed to unearthing corruption despite difficult and dangerous circumstances. In 2008 Wickramatunga was brutally murdered by unidentified gunmen on his way to work. Police have yet to charge anyone with Wickramatunga's killing. Transparency International Sri Lanka and other organisations are demanding the killers are found and brought to justice.

Rukshana Nanayakkara, Deputy Executive Director TI Sri Lanka, on the chapter's work with journalists and freedom of the press.

PODCAST:
Listen to Rukshana Nanayakkara, Deputy Executive Director TI Sri Lanka, on the chapter's work with journalists and freedom of the press.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) estimates that of the 808 journalists killed in the line of duty since 1992, 21 per cent were reporting on corruption. Of the ten journalists killed thus far in 2010, three were reporting on corruption, the second deadliest beat after politics. Moreover, incidents of physical violence against journalists, even murder, are in some countries rarely investigated or prosecuted. Latin America is currently suffering an epidemic of journalist killings, with Honduras and Mexico particularly hard hit; there are also 35 journalists held in jail in Iran.

Journalists who seek to expose economic and political corruption do so at great personal risk.

Tell us what you’ve done!

The first access to information law was enacted in Sweden in 1766. It took almost 200 years for Finland to follow suit in 1953. Momentum started building after 1974 when the United States, stunned by the Watergate scandal, strengthened its 1966 Freedom of Information Act.

In the past 15 years more than 40 countries have enacted access to information laws bringing the total worldwide to 82, according to Right2Info.org, a website that gathers the latest legal developments in the field. However, not all of these laws work well and the United Nations notes many are complicated to use and hard to enforce.

Tell us what you’ve done! is a new initiative launched on 3 May 2010, World Press Freedom Day, by Access Info Europe, a human rights organisation, and TI. The aim is to see how transparent governments are about their anti-corruption efforts under the anti-corruption treaties they have signed on to, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

On 3 May, 2010 TI chapters, members of the UNCAC Coalition and members of the Freedom of Information Advocates Network, plan to file information requests on five questions in 30 countries. They will follow up with further requests in the coming year. Results will be presented at the 4th UNCAC Conference of States Parties in 2011.

Seeking access to information

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Effective access to information laws maintain a balance between the citizens’ right to know and the state’s need for national security. Too often the balance swings the wrong way: denying citizens their right to know allows corrupt officials to act with impunity. TI chapters worldwide are active in this area. For example:

Croatia:Transparency International Croatia’sWe Have the Right to Know! campaign sought to raise public awareness of the right to hold public officials accountable. Chapter staff visited county centres across the country to inform people about Croatia’s Freedom of Information Act.
Guatemala: TI chapter Acción Ciudadana helped introduce an access to information law and is now working to ensure it is implemented. After a year, citizen demand for information is strong. When public officials refused a request recently, the chapter took legal action and obtained the information.
Lebanon: In 2008, with partners from the public and private sectors, civil society and the media, the Lebanese Transparency Association established the National Network for the Right of Access to Information. The network aims to enhance transparency, accountability and civic participation through access to information and whistleblower protection, and has submitted a draft law to parliament.
Montenegro: In 2009 TI chapter The Network for Affirmation of the NGO sector (MANS) monitored the implementation of freedom of information legislation by requesting almost 10,000 documents from institutions at all levels. It received less than half the information sought.
Palestine: To enhance transparency and citizens' access to information, AMAN (TI’s chapter in Palestine) organised a public hearing for the Minister of Finance to present the 2009 budget and the government’s commitments towards Gaza.
Venezuela: In coalition with other NGOs, Transparencia Venezuela ran the Third International Seminar on Access to Public Information, designed to strengthen understanding of access to public information as a fundamental right.

Working with journalists

Several TI chapters encourage, train and collaborate with journalists working on anti-corruption issues. TI also seeks to recognise journalistic excellence. Some highlights include:

The annual TI and Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (Press and Society Institute) Journalism Award, worth US $30,000, recognises outstanding investigative journalism in Latin American or Caribbean media. Two series of articles exposing public sector corruption in Brazil and illicit accounts managed by the Catholic Church in Costa Rica won the most recent award.

TI India has for the past four years recognised journalists with its annual journalism award.

Transparency Lithuania organised a series of breakfast discussions where international experts and opinion leaders encourage local journalists to use innovative tactics in reporting and uncovering corruption.

In partnership with three leading newspapers, TI Montenegro (MANS) supports the development of investigative journalism. MANS built a team of journalists to work on different aspects of corruption and organised crime, publishing numerous exposés online and in the papers.

Further information

World Press Freedom Day Official Website

Live Stream of World Press Freedom Day events:
http://www.wpfd2010.org/news/17-news/113-wpfd-streamed-live-on-the-internet

Contact

Gypsy Guillén Kaiser
ggkaiser@transparency.org