The relevance of media will be always here and those who see it as unsustainable might be the same who see the glass as half full. But for economists, they always tell us how they see the world with hidden social patterns that become evident only when one focuses on the essential underlying processes. Martin Semukanya These processes explain why landlords in Kigali are better off while the tenants are worse off. Until the authorities and their partners solve the housing problem. The same processes explain why businesses, including landlords in London because properties will remain expensive even than Manhattan or central Tokyo (at least for a foreseeable future), because under the protection of the Green Belt, the property market will be always calling the shorts. In these both property markets, though completely different and world apart, landlords have the bargaining power derived from the strength of scarcity. Under the same processes, unionised workers across the world protect their jobs by limiting competition and lobbying for better wages. Those who also go through the same processes, through organization, are liberal professions like doctors, nurses, lawyers and accountants, globally and here at home. They maintain high wages while making it hard for any potential competitor to set up shop. Therefore, how can we expect unorganized circles of mixed journalists and so-called journalists of ghost media outlets –like unionize workers or liberal professions -to limit competition and negotiate better wages from employers? But more importantly, how can we expect unorganized and ghosts media houses –like property marketers in Kigali and London- to negotiate better rates with advertisers and lobby government for the media industry growth? It’s the very high number of media houses which is giving the bargaining power to the pool of advertisers. The re-organisation focused and business-minded media houses will definitely seek to hire the best of journalists out there. These journalists will in turn, re-organise their profession. But how did we get here? Since the post-genocide Rwanda was in a hurry of developing every sector (because none existed) and under foreign pressure to liberalise the media sector. In the process of liberalizing the media sector by the government of Rwanda, two unfortunate things happened almost at the same time. First; everyone could become a journalist because there was not enough qualified journalists, no training or journalism schools and of course no focused institution for at least set benchmarks for entering the journalism career. Since unskilled, poorly skilled and poorly qualified conquered the media sector, employers were satisfied and okay to pay peanuts. Today’s result: hundreds members of journalism circle, many of them belonging to inexistent media houses! Second; the opening up coincided with the advent web-based news and every jack and jerry became an owner of media outlet. It doesn’t matter whether that media outlet has an office or is carried in the bag, has journalists or jokers, tells stories or fabricate them. The sustainability of the media in Rwanda isn’t going to be adopted in our annual gatherings with repetitive resolutions or in topical broadcasts. An expert-commission to reorganize the entire media and journalism sector in this country is need as soon as yesterday. This commission which should obviously be made of media practitioners and entrepreneurs will also need experts from labor, economics, law and any other relevant sector. Twitter: @semukanyam
