Burundi Media Regulator- CNC has held a meeting this June 25, 2018 with representatives of different media organizations operating in Burundi to discuss strategies to be adopted so as to boost media sector in Burundi. Among the top questions discussed, there was the validation of a national professional press card design.
A sample of the national press card
Nestor Bankumukunzi, CNC chairman, has said there are cards issued by different media but they are not recognized as press cards. “A press card is given by the National Communication Council. Others are just identification cards. They are not recognized as press cards.”
He has said the aim of the meeting was to discuss the design of the card and distribution criteria with media representatives. “We have to work together with media representatives.”
After the discussion about the design, security, validity and price of the press card, they all agreed that everyone is going to play their role so the new press card should start to be used as soon as possible.
Bankumukunzi says they have agreed that each journalist will have to buy their card. “Like identity cards, student cards, driving license or any other piece of identity, we agreed that journalists are the ones to buy their own cards .It is not a big amount of money , it is from BIF 5,000 to BIF 10,000”.
As for the validity of the press card, some media representatives asked that CNC increase the validity of two years for professional journalists and six months for interns. However, the suggestion was rejected.
Mr Bankumukunzi asks all journalists to bring all the required documents to CNC so that their press card should be made. “I wish that the distribution of the card should start in less than two months”, he said.
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