This SSR Backgrounder examines the roles and responsibilities of news media in good security sector governance (SSG) and oversight of the security sector. A culture of participation and transparency is key to a functioning democratic security sector.

Media outlets and investigative journalism can contribute decisively to the development of this culture. By informing the public about the work of the security sector, journalists and news media also assume an informal role of oversight over the sector. Notwithstanding, media can also endanger good SSG through partial, unverified, or untruthful information and by irresponsible reporting that disinforms and manipulates public opinion. To play an enabling role, journalism and news media must be free from political or economic control and from any other interference that may lead to censorship.  

Media play a variety of roles and responsibilities in good security sector governance, contributing to a culture of participation and transparency that is key to a functioning democratic security sector.