The Malagasy journalists cleansing conscience15/04/2010 | 17:03:56
The detention of some colleagues in the run of the year 2009 political crisis has led to the foundation of a club called the Union of Madagascan Journalists. The Union is sensitizing each and everyone on journalists' duty in the Malagasy society.
The debate was ignited by a meeting at the Espace Dera. A conference from the sociologist reporter, Rivonala Razafindrakoto, was the opportunity to address professionals from the media world. The conference equally addressed political party representatives as well as the Malagasy civil society. Nathalie Rabe HAT minister in charge of communication, was present to the meeting.
The conclusion is clear: the world of press has, since the colonial era, been being a division factor in Madagascar. The guilts? Political sectarianism and propaganda, as well indeed as the hatred, purposely fuelled by the colonial power in order to induce division between Madagascans.
Journalists conceded today that they have been contributing to the deterioration of Madagascar's political crisis for a while. Communication media are definitely the number one broadcaster of various parties vindicating and subversive messages in the run of a political crisis.
Some Malagasy reporters are definitely convinced that media groups are serving only a couple of ends, political gains and/or profits. The journalist's job has always been being the way to provide clouds of objectivity to the ultimate goal.
The political crisis has proved to have become a division bell for the press too. Since 2009, three reporters have been jailed. Such a thing has not happened for decades. The Union of Madagascan Journalists was precisely the beginning of the reaction to this new shape of prosecution against free press.
Reporters have been especially invited together with artists and Malagasy sport figures to greet the president of the High Authority of Transition. Rufin Rakotomaharo, the latest president of the Journalists´ Order, produced a speech on behalf of his colleagues, in which he called upon more press freedom, the authorization to reopen TV and radio stations closed by the ruling power and the ending of the so called press crimes[See]
The TV PLUS private media station received an official warning letter. A reporter is being wanted by the state police, and not any of the stations silenced in the aftermaths of the year 2009´s putsch have been allowed to broadcast again. Hard days for the press.[See]
A number of reporters are currently in the communication ministry´s sight in the run of its intention to restore “order” in the press. The ministry´s ethics commission is so far being acting since some weeks. Minister Harry Rahajason met some of the capital city´s reporters and declared that sanctions are likely to sanction any violation of ethics and laws.[See]
Poor first step in for the Communication Ministry´s Ethics Committee. The election of the committee´s president supposed to endorse the Journalists´ order´s leadership, had to be postponed, for some members defected[See]
The minister in charge of communication is considering the erection of an ethics committee deemed to temporarily overtake the journalists’ order’s prerogatives up to the election of a new board[See]
