Tsilavina Ralaindimby: a code to give value to Communication

The communication code project is reaching a decisive stage, namely the adoption of a law which is going to provide basis to the media world and to the practice of democracy in Madagascar. According to Tsilavina Ralaindimby, communication consultant solicited like person resource in the setting of the project, the new code will not merely be a legal setting of sanctions for various offences, but rather some sort of a moderator.

According to the update project’s coordinator, “the code is going to determine the statute of communication in a country like Madagascar for this third millennium”. According to Tsilavina Ralaindimby, it is all about creating “a tool to improve the concerned professions”.

The new legal text is going, on one hand, to express the rules to respect, and on the other hand, to promote the available support to the communication’s jobs, either financial or know-how related support.

The new communication code will also have an educational side. “The communication mindset is going to be enhanced for the young newcomers in the profession”, explained Tsilavina Ralaindimby. He believes that a country’s own code is to be matching the ethics shared by the whole world.

“The training of communication professionals is by itself not enough”, noticed the project’s coordinator. “Training has to be enhanced in order to get no hindrance in the implementation of the code “. 

“The communication code has to ease, improve and honour the communication professions”, analysed Tsilavina Ralaindimby. He is estimating that foreseen sanctions in the text have to contribute to the protection of communication jobs when principles and commitments are not respected. 

The freedom of information and the freedom of speech are the values to defend through the communication code. The law project should be solid enough since it is going to contain some 32 chapters and 307 articles. A drafting committee is being set to follow project’s text up until its presentation to the convention or to the parliament. 

Some regional meetings are going to be organized to collect opinions and suggestions. The process will be long. Its outcome may not be expected before March 2010. “We are going to take our time “, conceded Tsilavina Ralaindimby. New elements emerging from the present 1993 communication law will be held in account, particularly whatever is linked to modern technology, including the internet. 

The adoption of the law over new communication code will probably be achieved during the political transition. During the 2009 crisis, journalists and the media stations have been repeatedly targeted. From the partisan press up to neutral media groups, the communication code is going to ease… the transition.