Citizenship
Transparent access to information
As part of a project funded by Article 19 and coordinated by RUTMA, the association committed, from July 2025 to June 2026, to training journalists on the right of access to information, producing content on the topic and running an awareness campaign in Gafsa. On 6 and 7 January 2026, a five-person team handed out 250 flyers across the city, explaining to each passer-by what this right is and how to use it.
Context
The right of access to information allows any citizen to request information from public institutions. In inland regions such as Gafsa, this right is still little known, especially among people with the least contact with official information channels. Community media, close to local residents, are well placed to raise awareness of it and to use it in their own journalism.
Objectives
- 01Take part in a two-day training for ten journalists on covering socio-economic issues linked to the right of access to information.
- 02Produce three journalistic pieces, one of them co-produced with another radio station in the project, plus a radio programme.
- 03Run an awareness campaign in the region: hand out 250 flyers and air an awareness spot four times a day.
What we did
- 1 July 2025Partnership agreement signed with RUTMA in Tunis
- 31 December 2025Initial end date of the agreement, extended by RUTMA to 10 June 2026
- 6 January 2026First half of the flyers handed out along the main streets and busy public spaces of central Gafsa, with a short explanation of the procedure
- 7 January 2026Campaign extended to other neighbourhoods and public spaces until all 250 flyers were distributed
- 10 June 2026End of the project
Results
Source: project closing report (awareness campaign implementation report and attendance sheets of 6 and 7 January 2026).
What changed
- Most of the people met discovered that they could request information from public institutions, confirming the need for awareness-raising in the region.
- Several citizens asked for more information and showed interest in Radio Capsa FM's work.
- Residents stressed the value of bringing information directly to the street for those who do not always have access to the internet or the media.
- Handed over with a spoken explanation, the flyer was better understood and better remembered than when simply distributed.
