CI-NEWS

Sadi accuses private press of “playing politics under the influence of journalistic cover.

2019-06-25

No: 433

Sadi accuses private press of “playing politics under the influence of journalistic cover.

Rene Emmanuel Sadi, minister of communication, has accused some private media organs of “playing politics under the influence of journalistic cover” and thus deviating from their role of informing, entertaining and educating the masses.

He called on the press to show responsibility in their reporting at the time the country was facing security challenges, reminding them that before being journalists they are first of all citizens.

The call to order was made last Thursday in Yaounde during his first ever contact meeting with publishers and promoters of news organs, prompting a riposte from some promoters who accused government of neglecting the journalists and blocking access to information.

The meeting was seen as convened in the wake of a controversial report published by a renowned newspaper suggesting that MRC supporters were tracked down because of their Bamileke features (faciès).

Sadi used the occasion to “denounce and stigmatise the completely irresponsible and unacceptable attitude of the operators of certain print, audiovisual and cybernetic media outlets, who have deliberately and continuously chosen to practise the profession of journalist on the margins of the canons of the profession and the values of the Republic.”

He expressed indignation that some journalists attacked the defence and security forces, instead of supporting and thanking them for putting their lives in the line in defence of the country. He noted that for sometime now “some national media have been forming a genuine militant press in the service of anti-republican trends, thus multiplying false allegations and grotesque blunders, all through unsustainable verbal violence, and/or inflammatory articles, advocating tribal hatred, public disorder and even social unrest”.

Sadi reminded practitioners that “they must be above the fray, in all neutrality and impartiality, in order to succeed in providing people with information of absolute veracity”.

Addressing the plight of journalists, Sadi expressed regret that the journalistic profession was the only corps that “faced a deficit of internal organization”. He hoped media professionals would be able to “seriously embark on setting up a system of professional self-regulation”, in addition to the institutional regulation provided by the National Communication Council.

The government further reminded the audiovisual media that they were still operating under the regime of administrative tolerance, warning that the time had come to implement the provisions of a 2015 law constraining them to comply with the regulations in force.

Rising to his feet, Severin Tchounkeu, promoter of Equinoxe TV and Publisher of La Nouvelle Expression, told the minister that some organs including his were in order. He urged the minister to know the distinction between a press enterprise and political enterprise. He said some of them demanded to work only as independent enterprises, some of whom took up to 20 years to attract financiers.

Tchounkeu said if political considerations were forced down their throats they would be unable to break even. He said the Cameroonian press should not be perceived from a political prism but judged by its work in which it can falter like a surgeon in its exercise.

Tchounkeu who is president of the press card commission agreed with the minister that an enterprise manager is first of all a citizen but has rights and obligations.

For his part, Nkemayang Paul Foanyi, Publisher of Star Headlines and vice president of CJA, decried the absence of an English version of the minister’s address. He also drew attention to the blocking of access to official sources of information; the paltry media subvention given by the state to the press which strives to pay its taxes; and the absence of a powerful journalists’ association to regulate the profession as obtained in next-door Nigeria.

The minister apologized for not reading the English version of his address for time constraint. He said it was the responsibility of journalists to organize themselves and then invite the administration to come in.

Other proposals from the media gurus had to do with ban of pornographic content on TV and magazines as well as more aid to the written press.

The minister agreed that some of the points were pertinent and would be addressed to the right quarters.

A cocktail with the press executives crowned the exchange.

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Sadi accuses private press of “playing politics under the influence of journalistic cover.