Dimension: 3.3.3 Media access to parliament
This dimension concerns provisions and arrangements for media access to the parliamentary premises. The media has a special role in democratic societies in reporting on parliament’s activities. Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. needs to guarantee free and unfettered access to its proceedings to the media, and to provide adequate space and conditions for journalists and technicians to work.
Where parliament applies a media credentialling system, it should provide for permanent registration of media outlets and facilitate access to parliament. Credentialling should not be used to limit the diversity of media outlets reporting on parliament, or to exercise political control.
It is also important that media outlets have reasonable space, infrastructure and technical support to carry out their work, including Wi-Fi, cables, plugs, monitors and microphones.
Relations between parliament and the media may be facilitated by parliament’s media relations unit, or by dedicated staff tasked with liaising with the media. Such units and/or staff should work in a non-partisan manner. Parliaments sometimes provide training or informational material to journalists to familiarize them with parliamentary procedures.
Aspiring goal
Assess your parliament against this dimension
Assessment criteria
No 1: Rules of procedure
Parliament’s rules of procedure guarantee access for the media to the parliamentary building and to all venues where parliamentary proceedings take place.
No 2: Restrictions on access
Any restrictions on media access are limited, proportional and imposed on reasonable grounds. There are no unwarranted obstacles preventing the media from reporting on plenary sessions or committee meetings.
No 3: Credentialling system
Parliament’s credentialling system allows a wide diversity of media outlets to access parliament and report freely on parliamentary activities.
No 4: Space, infrastructure and technical support
Parliament provides media outlets with appropriate space, infrastructure and technical support to carry out their work.
No 5: Practice
In practice, diverse media outlets have equal access to the parliamentary building and to all venues where parliamentary proceedings take place, and are able to report freely on parliamentary activities.
How to complete this assessment
This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based.
The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:
- Provisions of parliament’s rules of procedure relating to the relationship between parliament and the media
- Statistics on media credentialling and access to parliament for media representatives
Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.
Sources and further reading
- David Beetham, Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. and democracy in the twenty-first century: A guide to good practice (2006).
- Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislators, revised edition (2018).
- National Democratic Institute (NDI), Towards the Development of International Standards for Democratic Legislatures (2007).
Get help with this assessment
The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators.
Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.
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