Al-Rikabi Hassan Yagoub
Email: tinaina2006@yahoo.com
Free Journalists...Or No Journalism
Date: 30/05/2015
Email: tinaina2006@yahoo.com
Free Journalists...Or No Journalism
Date: 30/05/2015
What
I am going to say in this space today may not satisfy many colleagues
in the profession of journalism, but one must say the truth. Pleasing
people can never be reached exactly like the mirage. A few days ago,
journalism witnessed protests by journalists on the background of the
incident of the confiscation of a number of dailies by the security
authorities. This incident outraged the press street, so a number of
journalists rushed to protest against it under the influence of the
so-called Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) to denounce the security
action, demanding a halt to such actions and freeing press of all
restrictions, calling for strike until their demands are met, and they
have taken a slogan: "Free press or No press".
SJN has led the protests; unfortunately SJN is an ideologised body. The members are politicised and have their own political loyalties which are hostile to the government, they have no business but to scramble to protest against the government whenever they want. SJN members do that by political motives and objectives that have nothing to do with press profession, and hidden foreign hands are not far from them by funds and guidance. Of course the security authorities are well aware of these facts, so its measures were based on solid foundation of documented information. No doubt, the security authorities' main duty is to maintain security and social safety and peace in all aspects, doing that in defence of the country according to law and the constitution.
It is true that the press is the fourth power and has a very important role as a strong supporter to the other organs of the State through its supervisory role upon the executive organs, but where is our press in this great role? And where is the journalist who is loyal only to the homeland who is impartial of any affiliation to an ideology, or a political party, a region, or even a tribe? Where are the journalists who say to the government: well-done, if it was acted well, and criticise it when it makes a mistake without any background of self-purpose or partisan objective? They are very few counted on the fingers of a single hand! Where is accuracy and responsibility and honesty in reporting the news? We have seen many serious mistakes, some done deliberately and some a result of negligence and lack of responsibility. Examples are countless in this respect, the most recent was what was published by a leading daily within the few past days. The paper claimed that the Malaysian oil company (Petronas) liquidised its assets and business in Sudan, however the next day we found out that the news was fabricated and false and totally a "May false"! And it has caused considerable lesions, not only to the company, but to the national economy.
Another example took place earlier this week when a heavy dust arose by a number of dailies about the transportation of school students. It was a sensitive issue and raised accusations were not accurate and cannot be described as a phenomenon - it is individual cases with special conditions and circumstances.
Yesterday I was browsing through a Sudanese e-newspaper; I came across a highlighted news item that said: "The guards of the First Vice President harshly attacked journalists." Reading the title comes into your mind at first glance that the incident was an extension to the state of tension between the government and the press, but when I read the details I found the devils jumping between the lines. The story goes that five journalists, two of them from the official TV and Radio, boarded the aircraft of the First Vice President during his visit to North Darfur State before the takeoff. The guards asked them to get off the aircraft in order for the guards to ascend, but the journalists refused to get off under pretext that they came by the same aircraft. The guards had no choice; they got them off by force one by one! The amazing part in this tragedy was that those journalists exposed their ignorance about the presidential protocol, and also they were drew themselves into a losing battle that could have been avoided by complying with the polite request of the guards and then demand the local authorities to manage their return quietly, but regrettably, they chose confrontation with individuals whose main job is to protect the second VIP in the whole country!
The worse thing was that, instead of hiding the scandal, they set out to circulate it in a miserable way to imply to the public opinion that the Presidency of the Republic antagonises journalists, and all that in order to defame the image of the government. I think we are in need for free journalists of any loyalties except loyalty to the nation. There will be no free press unless journalists are free from self-loyalties; I call on those who are shedding crocodile tears over the spilt milk to dry their tears. The right slogan to be adopted is Free journalists...Or no journalism.
SJN has led the protests; unfortunately SJN is an ideologised body. The members are politicised and have their own political loyalties which are hostile to the government, they have no business but to scramble to protest against the government whenever they want. SJN members do that by political motives and objectives that have nothing to do with press profession, and hidden foreign hands are not far from them by funds and guidance. Of course the security authorities are well aware of these facts, so its measures were based on solid foundation of documented information. No doubt, the security authorities' main duty is to maintain security and social safety and peace in all aspects, doing that in defence of the country according to law and the constitution.
It is true that the press is the fourth power and has a very important role as a strong supporter to the other organs of the State through its supervisory role upon the executive organs, but where is our press in this great role? And where is the journalist who is loyal only to the homeland who is impartial of any affiliation to an ideology, or a political party, a region, or even a tribe? Where are the journalists who say to the government: well-done, if it was acted well, and criticise it when it makes a mistake without any background of self-purpose or partisan objective? They are very few counted on the fingers of a single hand! Where is accuracy and responsibility and honesty in reporting the news? We have seen many serious mistakes, some done deliberately and some a result of negligence and lack of responsibility. Examples are countless in this respect, the most recent was what was published by a leading daily within the few past days. The paper claimed that the Malaysian oil company (Petronas) liquidised its assets and business in Sudan, however the next day we found out that the news was fabricated and false and totally a "May false"! And it has caused considerable lesions, not only to the company, but to the national economy.
Another example took place earlier this week when a heavy dust arose by a number of dailies about the transportation of school students. It was a sensitive issue and raised accusations were not accurate and cannot be described as a phenomenon - it is individual cases with special conditions and circumstances.
Yesterday I was browsing through a Sudanese e-newspaper; I came across a highlighted news item that said: "The guards of the First Vice President harshly attacked journalists." Reading the title comes into your mind at first glance that the incident was an extension to the state of tension between the government and the press, but when I read the details I found the devils jumping between the lines. The story goes that five journalists, two of them from the official TV and Radio, boarded the aircraft of the First Vice President during his visit to North Darfur State before the takeoff. The guards asked them to get off the aircraft in order for the guards to ascend, but the journalists refused to get off under pretext that they came by the same aircraft. The guards had no choice; they got them off by force one by one! The amazing part in this tragedy was that those journalists exposed their ignorance about the presidential protocol, and also they were drew themselves into a losing battle that could have been avoided by complying with the polite request of the guards and then demand the local authorities to manage their return quietly, but regrettably, they chose confrontation with individuals whose main job is to protect the second VIP in the whole country!
The worse thing was that, instead of hiding the scandal, they set out to circulate it in a miserable way to imply to the public opinion that the Presidency of the Republic antagonises journalists, and all that in order to defame the image of the government. I think we are in need for free journalists of any loyalties except loyalty to the nation. There will be no free press unless journalists are free from self-loyalties; I call on those who are shedding crocodile tears over the spilt milk to dry their tears. The right slogan to be adopted is Free journalists...Or no journalism.
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