The Council for the Observation of Ethical and Professional Standards in the Media in Senegal (CORED) officially established its peer tribunal on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 10 a.m., at the Maison de la Presse in Dakar. This announcement was made in a press release issued by the president of CORED.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy, Moussa Bocar Thiam.
The press release reiterates that the Peer Review Board is an independent and autonomous body whose mission is to judge professional practices and impose sanctions in cases of non-compliance with ethical and professional conduct rules in the media sector.
Until now, the Peer Tribunal had limited powers, but thanks to the new press code, it now has a much wider sphere of influence. Mame Less Camara, a journalist and member of the Peer Tribunal since its inception, explains this new approach. "Previously, CORED was an association that did not have the power to take decisions against journalists," he says.
With the recent changes, he adds, "Articles 53 and 54 of the new press code give the peer tribunal the authority to suspend journalists, withdraw press cards, and even strike journalists off the register, in order to ensure that they comply with the recommended ethical guidelines."