The Higher Council for Communication (CSC) hosted a press briefing on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Ouagadougou, to challenge journalists on their responsibility in handling information, following the terrorist attacks, causing deaths and thousands of internally displaced people.
The Superior Council of Communication (CSC) noted numerous shortcomings in the treatment of the news related to the attack perpetrated against the civilian populations of Solhan, in the province of Yagha, on the night of June 4 to 5, 2021. This is the statement made by the president of the CSC, Mathias Tankoano, during a press conference held on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, in Ouagadougou. According to him, several media trample on the social responsibilities of the profession, through publications made in defiance of the rules of professional ethics. “These faults range from the failure to first check the sources of information to the publication of false news. Other shortcomings such as infringement of image rights and the dissemination of shocking images were noted, ”he said. According to Mr. Tankoano, following the recent attack in Solhan, 9 audiovisual media, 9 print and online media outlets were pinned down by the CSC. The management of the National Radio and the International Radio France (RFI) were summoned to be heard in the perspective of decisions that will be taken concerning them, he continued. The director of complaints at the level of the CSC, Abdoulaye Dao, indicated that the decision which sanctioned the media of the Omega Group, revealed three main failings.
These are the dissemination of false news concerning the number of victims, the announcement of another attack on the Sebba-Dori axis, and the announcement of an ongoing attack in the village of Dambam, 24 hours after Solhan’s. For Mathias Tankoano, the media of the Omega Group have violated the professional principles of information processing, including the principle of the truth of the facts as enacted by article 7 of the charter of ethics and professional conduct, which stipulates that “the Burkinabè journalist is bound by the duty of truth out of intellectual and professional honesty and out of concern for
interest ”. As a result, he said, following the hearing, the CSC decided to suspend the Omega Group radio and television programs from June 09 to June 13, 2021. However, he underlined that they are, however, authorized to broadcast the music during the period. Mr. Dao specified that this false information was also relayed by other media qualified as “disseminators of false news”, he indicated.
“In terms of the written press and online, there is the newspaper L’Observateur Paalga, aouaga.com, Wakatsera.com, (…) info.net, afrik.net, Goama .tv, infowakat.net”. He added that at the audiovisual media level, there is the Radio-Television du Burkina, the national radio, the LCA, 3TV, Bf1, Burkina info, Canal3 via France24, and Pulsar via the Deschewelle. “At the same time, it is about those who produced shocking images. To all these media, we send a letter of observation because they failed to verify the source ”, informed Mr. Tankoano. He meant that the sanction taken by his structure does not aim to stifle a media, but rather to replace it in its essential role of giving information from credible sources for public opinion. “The media must contribute to the search for solutions for a way out of the crisis to building a Burkina Faso of peace and cohesion by disseminating and publishing accurate information”, he recalled.
Aly SAWADOGO
– –
