Ethiopia’s media should be proactive to detect and uncover new causes and forms of disinformation and actively send verifiable information to the audience thereby tackling the lies of international news media companies that whitewash the terrorist TPLF’s crimes via spreading lies about the federal government, experts in the field said.
Hawassa University Journalism Lecturer Belew Anilye (PhD candidate) told The Ethiopian Herald that some international media outlets have been presenting one-sided reports about Ethiopia and shunning journalistic principle of balancing stories.
Noting media’s entrusted role of sending verifiable and balanced stories to inform the audience, the academician stated that some corporate media including BBC, Aljazeera, CNN, and others have been witnessed in deviating from professional and ethical journalism. It is evident that the aforementioned media have been employed fake news as a tool to catch audience attention.
“Some corporate media have given utmost priority to achieve the hidden agenda of third parties rather than obeying the profession of journalism and they have not worried to present facts and include the views of all sides of the given story. That’s why their gusts are always similar and restricted; they might be like staffers.”
Belew highlighted that Ethiopia needs to develop a vibrant media industry that effectively set agenda and shape public opinion to the intended purposes. To this end, strong public relation activities and the professionals’ active engagement and commitment have paramount importance.
Sharing the above, Journalism Lecturer at Dilla University Alebel Guangule (Ph.D. candidate) said that the fundamental problem of some international media’s reports about Ethiopia is their reliance on a single and irrelevant sources.
For example, the aforesaid media attempted to cast troops loyal to the terrorist TPLF clique would win the military confrontation against the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) whilst the reality is the opposite.
On the other hand, the criminal faction have made attempt to disturb government’s activities so as to catch international media’s attention.
Ethiopian diplomatic missions have a huge role in this regard and the diplomats should partner with relevant institutions in the respective countries to avail timely and verifiable information thereby combating international media’s attempt to distort Ethiopia’s reality, he recommended.
The Ethiopian Herald July 7/2021