The SJA, in a note alluding to World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated this Friday, says it marks the date with "concerns that are accentuated every day, due to the violation of laws and self-regulation mechanisms", as well as the "ineffectiveness" of the Angolan Social Communication Regulatory Entity (ERCA).
The Basic Law of Independent Administrative Entities is also yet to be complied with, which "has resulted in a lack of transparency in the licensing of media bodies", as the owners of these bodies are unknown, as required by the Press Law, reads note.
According to the trade union, there is also a "predisposition" on the part of media management (with emphasis on the public), "to prevent the creation of editorial boards, threatening journalists with disciplinary proceedings".
The SJA recalls that the constitution of editorial boards is a matter that depends exclusively on journalists, with any interference from the management of the media being "illegal".
The note, signed by the secretary general, Teixeira Cândido, also notes that the previous robberies at journalists' homes and the SJA headquarters "have not been clarified to date", highlighting that this week the home of journalist William Tonet was also robbed.
The SJA waits with "the hope that these assaults will not be forgotten, as they may constitute deliberate acts to instill fear in journalists", he says.
The union encourages journalists to continue their mission of reporting truthfully and impartially, serving the public interest, freedom and democracy, as well as to "resist" all attempts to intimidate or condition their activity.
Angola, Brazil and Portugal countered the downward trend of Portuguese-speaking countries in the World Press Freedom Index published this Friday by the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Angola, which last year ranked lowest among Portuguese-speaking countries on the press freedom map, rose 21 positions to 104th place (125th in 2023).
