 |
| Peter Essoka, vice president of the NCC |
The Vice-president of the National Communication Council informs promoters, media
professionals and the general public that on 30 April 2015, this autonomous
regulatory body held its 10th ordinary session, in compliance with the
provisions of Decree No 2012/038 of 23 January 2012 reorganising the NCC.
The
agenda of the proceedings focused mainly on preparations for the 2015
commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day and ten (10) case reviews. The
following decisions were taken after the reviews:
1/- In Afriland First Bank’s case against “Le Renard”,
The
complaining financial institution petitioned the NCC against the print media
organ named “Le Renard” for publishing unfounded accusations that may be
prejudicial to its image in its 038th issue of 19 February 2015.
The
Council, after establishing the responsibility of the newspaper’s publisher
given the publication of unfounded claims, which neither fulfilled the
requirements of verification nor balance in the treatment of information, separately
suspended “Le Renard” and its publisher from practicing the journalism
profession in Cameroon for a period of six (06) months for misconduct which
constitutes violations of professional ethics in mass communication.
2/- Concerning Pamol Plantation Ltd’s case against
“Cameroon Herald”,
Following the publication of unfounded accusations of mismanagement and
embezzlement in its 090th issue against the Interim General Manager
of Pamol Plantations Plc and certain senior public figures,
The
Council, after establishing the responsibility of the publisher of the
newspaper in question for not respecting the requirements of verification and
balance, separately suspended “Cameroon Herald” and its publisher from
practicing the journalism profession in Cameroon for a period of six (06)
months for misconduct which constitutes violations of professional ethics in
mass communication.
3/- In the NCC’s case against “Afrique Media”,
The Council:
-
Based on the programmes “Le mérite panafricain” and “le débat panafricain”
broadcast respectively on the aforementioned television station on 1, 8, 20, 27
February and 16 March 2015 during which certain guests leveled baseless
accusations and incitement to hatred likely to impair the image and dignity of
personalities, institutions and foreign countries;
-
Specifying that the choice of guests and the conduct of television programmes
are the responsibilities of their presenters;
-
Taking into account repeated professional slips of a similar nature which
prompted it to call the attention of “Afrique Media’s” management to the risks
involved in broadcasting live programmes with contributions from guests, some
of whose spur-of-the-moment declarations can cause irreparable damage,
-
Recalling that pledges to respect professional ethics made by the management of
Afrique Media after they were first summoned before the NCC were never followed
by action,
-
Noting that the generalization of the aforementioned professional breaches have
resulted in detrimental confusion between free speech and the violation of the
dignity of moral and physical persons, suspended Afrique Media for a period
of one month, and Magne Tada Juliana and Mohammed Bachir Ladan , presenters of
the aforementioned programmes for six (06) months each from practicing
journalism in Cameroon for repeated professional misconduct characterized by a
lack of control of the aforementioned programmes permitting the guests to make
unjustified accusations likely to impair the image and honour of personalities,
institutions and foreign countries.
4/- In the NCC’s case against “LTM”,
The
Council, which reproached Awilo, presenter of the programme “Town Cryer” on LTM
for making an unjustified accusation concerning the war between Cameroon and
the Islamist sect Boko Haram which is likely to impair the honour and dignity
of a foreign country, separately suspended the programme “Town Cryer” and
its presenter from practicing journalism in Cameroon for a period of three (03)
months for broadcasting a baseless accusation which constitutes violation of
professional ethics in mass communication.
5/- In Martinez Zogo’s case against “Climat Social”,
Mr.
Martinez Zogo, journalist at “Amplitude FM” filed a petition to the NCC against
the newspaper “Climat Social”, following the publication in its 0061st
issue of unjustified accusations which impinged on his person and dignity.
The Council,
After
confirming the responsibility of “Climat Social’s” publisher pertaining to his
media organ’s non respect for the professional requirements of verification and
balance resulting in the publication of unjustified accusations against the
petitioner, separately suspended “Climat Social” and its publisher from
practicing journalism in Cameroon for a period of six (06) months for
misconduct which constitutes violation of professional ethics in mass
communication.
6/- Concerning Oswald Baboke’s case against “Royal FM”,
Mr.
Oswald Baboke, Technical Adviser at the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the
Republic, filed a petition to the NCC against “Royal FM” after the presenter of
the programme “le débat républicain” broadcast on 2 February 2015 on this radio
station, declared that the petitioner embezzled the sum of 15,000, 000 FCFA,
which Cameroon’s First Lady allegedly sent to Mr. Emmanuel Mbombog Mbog Matip.
The Council,
After
establishing the responsibility of “Royal FM” and that of the presenter of the
contested programme for failing to respect the two-fold requirement of
verification and balance in the treatment of information which led to the
broadcast of an unfounded accusation likely to violate the petitioner’s
dignity, separately suspended “Royal FM” for one (01) month and Mr. Martin
Marcelin Ateba, presenter of the programme “le débat républicain” for three
(03) months from practicing journalism in Cameroon, for misconduct which
constitutes violation of professional ethics in mass communication.
7/- In Vincent Nji Ndumu’s case against “Vanguard”,
Mr.
Vincent Nji Ndumu, Governmnt Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, filed a
petition to the NCC against the print media organ “Vanguard” following the
publication of accusations of mismanagement in the exercise of his duties in
its 120th issue of 9 February 2015.
The Council,
After
establishing the responsibility of the publisher of the newspaper in question
for breaching the dual requirement of verification and balance in the treatment
of information which resulted in the publication of unfounded claims against
the petitioner, separately suspended “Vanguard” and its publisher for six
(06) months from practicing the journalism profession in Cameroon, for
misconduct which constitutes violation of professional ethics in mass
communication.
8/- In
the cases between Mr. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communication and
“Mutations”, “Quotidien Emergence” and “Le Messager”, following:
- The
publication of information concerning a photograph of the Head of State bowing
before the remains of soldiers who died in the war front posted on the
Presidency of the Republic’s website on 09 March 2015,
- And the
republication by these newspapers of an article about the health condition of
Cameroon’s presidential couple originally published on the website of the “Le
Monde” newspaper,
The Council,
After
a debate which took Members’ contradictory positions into account, decided
to defer its deliberation on the three aforementioned cases.
For the Council,
The Vice-President
Peter Essoka
No comments:
Post a Comment