Media performance and release of prisoners [Archives:2007/1112/Opinion]
Nabeel Al-Sofi
Different media reported that army fighter jets struck demonstrators, belonging to the opposition parties, on the National Independence Day in Aden city. The problem was not in the breaking news, however, it is related with other media means continuing to publish inauthentic facts and stories. At this point, I don't talk about the professional responsibility toward the readership and events, as well as my colleagues, who committed such mistakes. I will refer to the negative influence such a news story has on our profession as media personnel and the community's vision to us. Hadn't I seen Sama Al-Hashimi, a women journalist who wrote the story, at that time, I would have said that such a news story is somewhat correct.
For us, it doesn't matter to discuss the report including mistakes about the killing of two or six people, but what does matter is that when the report said a fighter jet struck demonstrations, which did not happen at all. As far as I am concerned, writing a report in this way functions as an alarm for us and tells us how to deal with political controversy news.
Aircrafts were hovering in the airspace of Mansoura and Sheikh Othman districts, as well as flying between the Sport City, which was waiting to host the official celebration, and Al-Hashimi Square. In the meantime, President Ali Abdullah gave directions to military and security authorities not to delay the festival saying, “They (the opposition members and supporters) will not say more than what they say in newspapers,” particularly as the opposition applied for a permission to hold a festival, several days before the government decided to have celebrations of the 40th Anniversary of the National Independence Day organized at the specified location and time. The opposition's request was declined.
As the security authorities and Aden Governorate leadership said the aircraft in question was hovering as part of a parachuting rehearsal during the course of the official festival, its hovering over Al-Hishimi square is not justified, nor was this enough to convert hovering into an artillery strike, which resulted in the killing of dozens.
We need to observe the political activities and convey them to the readership, including the government, opposition and ordinary citizens, as an ideal goal for publishing information. This duty requires a technical care to avoid mistakes that seem to be in favor of a certain party.
Absolutely, there is no preference for the government-funded official media, which are led by a media policy that has never recognized what we have been saying until now that Yemen is a democratic country. We don't demand the official media to publish the address of Mr. Ahmad Omar Bin Fareed though he is a citizen having his own share of the official media. We only demand the official media to at least publish news about opposition activities and functions. If these media are deaf and thereby unable to hear about freedom and pluralism, they should stop publishing any political news provoking controversies and heated debates between the conflicting parties.
Release of prisoners:
A decision, described to be totally different from our administrative, political and intellectual heritage, is the one under which Nasser Al-Nuba, Hassan BaAum and their companions have been detained for one month in Hadramout and Aden jails and then released.
As opposed to the way the list of prisoners was prepared and distributed, and the news reporting that President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to release the detainees, plus the heighten security anticipating any peaceful popular protests, Mr. President's decision and its implementation deserves our highest consideration.
We will be more able to speak loudly in defending our unity when peace and peaceful means become stronger in defending our moral values and legal rights. The use of force only grants legitimacy to violence and hatred, thus denying people the right to live.
Source: Al-Wasat-ye.net
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[archive-e:1112-v:15-y:2007-d:2007-12-17-p:opinion]
