About the MSI
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IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country's media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and began studying Africa in 2006.
MSI Overview [8] | Africa [9] | Asia [10] | Europe & Eurasia [11] | Middle East & North Africa [12]
MSI Methodology [13]
Download Complete Burundi Chapter (PDF): 2012 [14]| 2010 [15] | 2009 [16] | 2008 [17] | 2006/7 [18] | 2006/7 (français) [19]
MSI Burundi - 2012 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 1.92
Burundi’s long history of poor relations between the government and the press continued in 2011 and 2012, with fresh attempts by the government to censor the media.
In a chilling example, in September 2011, 35 civilians were massacred in a bar in Gatumba province. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), two days after the incident, the National Security Council declared a media blackout, claiming the media could “sow confusion, divide the population, and incite it to confrontation.” A number of journalists displayed great bravery in defying the ban; Reporters Sans Frontières and CPJ counted at least five radio stations that discussed the killings openly.
Another controversial event involved the 50th anniversary celebration of Burundi’s independence. For the occasion, President Pierre Nkurunziza decreed an amnesty for 7,000 prisoners, who were subsequently released from custody. Not all Burundians appreciated the president’s grand gesture, though. It left a particularly bitter taste for the MSI panelists and others in the media community, for good reason: Hassan Ruvakuki, Radio France International’s Swahili correspondent, was notably excluded from the group of pardoned prisoners. Accused of terrorism after reporting from the camp of an armed rebel group in neighboring Tanzania, Ruvakuki received a sentence of life in prison on June 20, 2012. Journalists and media leaders, convinced of Ruvakuki’s innocence, had been lobbying for his release.
The media’s disillusionment, however, runs even deeper. Throughout the discussion, the MSI panelists identified several key obstacles that prevent Burundian media from performing their role as “the fourth estate in a democracy.” First, panelists noted that the government forms media laws without consulting journalists. Journalists who dare criticize the state are accused of serving the opposition. The National Communication Council (commonly known by its French acronym, CNC), which is intended to regulate the media, has surrendered to those in power and suppresses the independent media. Finally, panelists said that Burundian public media are public in name only, serving the regime and not the people.
The panelists agreed that the media operate in a hostile environment where press freedom is constantly tested: threats, blackmail, and intimidation are commonplace. There are glimmers of opportunity, though: the journalists who stood up to the government’s ban on covering the Gatumba bar incident; and the perseverance of community radio stations that help bring peace to the country, ensured accountability during the elections of 2005, and continue to give ordinary citizens a voice.