RWANDA MEDIA BAROMETER 2021

We are pleased to present the Rwanda Media Barometer (RMB) 2021. RMB is a publication of Rwanda Governance Board initiated in 2013. It serves as a scientific and reliable tool to measure the state of media in Rwanda with an aim of promoting professional, vibrant and responsible media. The RMB 2021 is the fourth edition and is built on five indicators namely; (i) Legal and Policy Framework, (ii) Media Plurality and Diversity, (iii) Media as a platform for Strengthening Governance and Democracy, (iv) Media Development and Professional Capacity and (v) Access to Information. Some adjustments were made on some indicators to strengthen their measurement, analysis and clarity in their interpretation. The findings of this edition show that the overall performance of media development is 80.6%. This demonstrates sustained growth of the media sector from 60.7% in 2013, 69.6% in 2016 and 72.4% in 2018. The positive trend is a result of efforts invested by the government and stakeholders in the development of the media sector. The highest performing indicator of this barometer is the Legal and Policy Framework with a score of 91.0% while the least performing indicator is Media Development and Professional Capacity with a score of 62.4%. Despite the visible progress in the media sector development, financial sustainability remains a major challenge to the development of the sector. The Rwanda Governance Board will continue to support media houses and associations to be more professional, accountable and self-reliant. We also hope that findings of the RMB 2021 will guide interventions meant to empower the media to serve the citizens. We take this opportunity to appreciate the financial support of One-UN in media sector development in Rwanda. We also acknowledge the contribution of the media fraternity and other stakeholders in the production of this barometer