-Hails freedom of expression, pluralism of the media landscape
Rene Emmanuel Sadi, the Minister of Communication has regretted the recurrent tendency of professional malpractices noticed here and there within the media landscape in Cameroon.
His observation is contained in a message addressed to the media family 3 May 2021 on the occasion of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day celebration. The message catalogues some of the perennial problems which to him is eating deep into the profession.
“Although we can therefore boast of the notable achievements and of the undeniable progress of this media pluralism and the proven Freedom of speech, we observe with regret, a certain tendency towards the recurrence of professional malpractices. These include: the publication of fake news, attacks on the honour, consideration, and dignity of others; the publication of false information; defamation; insults; calls to sedition; hate speech and tribal and identity discrimination; hostility to the fatherland, just to name a few,” partly read Sadi’s message.
The MINCOM said the situation has further “magnified by the upsurge and generalisation of social networks in the social sphere, remarkable through fake news, and their relay by the conventional media”. Aside the aforementioned ills, the government’s spokesman said the media and journalists “regrettably are increasingly being instrumentalized by lobbies and other actors hiding in the dark”.
“This particularly dangerous practice has given rise to a hired press whose action appears to be exceptionally bad for the image of the profession and, consequently, that of Cameroon both at home and abroad,” noted Sadi in the release, adding that violation of laws and codes of ethics and professional conduct constitutes a breach of Press Freedom and a backward step for Democracy.
He challenged media professionals to in context of technological progress and social media ensure rigorous fact-checking and investigations on stories which is of cardinal necessity in order to avoid dissemination of unverified news which can constitute grounds for the destruction of national cohesion.
“It is therefore urgent for the Press and media professionals, to retake ownership of the basic rules that govern their profession, to be abide by the fundamental values of our democratic model, to keep in mind the necessary respect for legislation and to reinforce our culture of citizenship,” he said.
He said his ministry will continue to do its utmost best to improve the conditions for the emergence of a true Press Freedom and a Quality Press in Cameroon especially the implementation of the resolutions of the 2012 Communication Forum which he said remains among their priorities.
The MINCOM used the occasion hail progress made by government in ensuring freedom of expression and pluralism within the media landscape. “Indeed, Cameroon is today a democratic country where press freedom is a reality. The merit goes to President Paul BIYA. We should avail ourselves of this opportunity to pay him a deserved tribute,” he said.
He said it is thanks to the eminently liberal framework, which instituted both the freedom to undertake and the freedom to publish, that Cameroon today has more than 600 newspapers which are published regularly, nearly a hundred radio broadcasting stations, about thirty Television broadcasting channels and an impressive number of online media.
“At the editorial level, there is a clearly marked freedom of tone, with no restrictions other than that prescribed by the rules of ethics and professional conduct or by the law. There is therefore no doubt about that: all the media actors worthy of the name operating in Cameroon, do so in total freedom and independence,” he revealed.
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaoundé
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