Somalilandsun – Once more, for the umpteenth time, pops up the ever nagging issue of unethical and libelous acts perpetrated in/by the mainstream media that is causing chaos.
Slightly more than just a fortnight ago we witnessed the media laying claims whose allegations was leveled at none other than the Head of State himself saying that he had opted out of the presidential race hence wouldn’t defend his seat.
However on his arrival the main thing he did was to deny the allegations, something officials or aggrieved parties have similarly spent many a time addressing.
Now, as expressed and detailed in a better way by the Gebiley RG, the private press have opted to manufacture news and pictures to not only distort facts but criminally engineer and construct issues tailored to suit certain egos and interests at the expense of those libeled against.
What has come out of the Gebiley incident as affirmed by the regional chief administrative officer is, if anything, something that is too serious and grossly damages the general media industry in the country.
Grave as the matter may be it has the potential of causing explosion whose public backlash may carry violence and virulence that can as well be unimaginable.
It is a fact that such malpractices and misdemenour have been so rampant that it has almost become a sort of an accepted way of life. Truly, to our chagrin, we have cried out and aloud, yelling at the top of our voices, for the curbing of such tendencies that nurtures gutter press with chaotic repercussions.
Again, truly to our dismay, more after than not, nothing is done to address this issue. Both the aggressors and the aggrieved tend to wash issue down the carpets, hence in the long run, only getting more scabs and scars on soar or embedded wounds on our personal, group or social societal fabrics.
Perhaps HCTV Editor-in-Chief’s resignation yesterday is a rare step taken on the right cue to address this sad situation and shades more light on the seriousness of this pathological media problem.
As part of the media fraternity, we of course jealously guard our rights of freedom of press and expressions.
But, contrary to almost all media outlets in the country, it is only The Horn Tribune that has tirelessly been decrying the trampling on of such rights.
Time and time again, countless are the numbers of items and articles that we have brought forth and published in our paper, printing in this same column, that have been praying for sanity to be retuned or maintained in the media industry.
We, jealously again, guard our fair play and we would not want it tarnished in rogue peerage circus.
Just as so, as a public paper, we call for the delving into the ethical pros and cons in the industry, such that for once, credibility may prevail.
Aggrieved parties of course have rights to open litigations in such cases of rogue media industry, but surely, something must be done before things get out of hands.
this is an Editorial original to The Horn Tribune a Weekly englisjh newspaper publisjed in Hargeisa by the Somaliland state owned Dawan media Group-DMG
