By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Journalist have been asked to act professionally since they are important actors in the country’s development.
This was said by the information minister Hon Abdirahman Yusuf Duale ‘Boobe’ while opening a workshop on media law at a Hargeisa hotel where he stressed on the importance of journalist acting ethically.
The objective of the one day work which was organized by the Faculty of law of Hargeisa university-UoH was to familiarized local journalists with the media law and more specifically the section dealing with media ethics.
While addressing the 30 participating journalists who were pooled from all media houses in the country, Hon Boobe said that the government welcomes constructive criticisms from the fourth estate but unethically and sensational reporting will not be accommodate.
“The administration expects the media to help in development and good governance through pinpointing loopholes that require attention” said Hon Boobe
The information minister commended the university of Hargeisa faculty of law for the organization and the Somaliland Journalists association-Solja for implementation of what he, minister Boobe, termed as a very idle training for journalists in the country.
Other speakers at the workshop’s opening ceremony included Mr. Mahmoud Hussein Farah the Dean Faculty of law at UoH as well as Mr. Hasan Mohamed Yusuf and Mohamed-Rashid Mohamed Farah the chairperson and Secretary General of Solja respectively.
The introduction to journalism ethics comes at a time when members of the fourth estate and government are at loggerheads due to what the administration has termed irresponsible reporting. This year alone has seen over 50 reporters detained by the government on one charge or another, a number that surpasses all the other years combined.
