Online Media: Causes For Concern

By Bax

“…operating from the Western Hemisphere, Gambian online media/radios need to learn from their counterparts in the Western media, and see how agenda driven journalism can facilitate change, through mass media.”

Hidden agenda and misplaced priorities are what constitute the greatest obstacles to diaspora effectiveness in the struggle, and opposition electoral victory against the APRC.

And the online media, both print and audio visual, have played no small part in this self-destruct tragedy…Perhaps, operating from the Western Hemisphere, they need to learn from their counterparts in the Western media, and see how agenda driven journalism can facilitate change, through mass media…

Everybody supports balanced reporting but when you are established to bring about a certain outcome, in a certain place, you don’t target for ridicule, criticism and insults, those elements that will facilitate the achievement of your goals….You may even bury negative news about them or find some plausible explanation for any negative actions by them..

For example, in the Ukraine during the maiden disturbances, the Western media focused its lenses on the government, blaming them for every act or actions of violence and praising the demonstrators as Democrats. ..

Once their goal of regime change was achieved, their lenses instantly switched on the opponents of the new regime, who are blamed for all violence, whilst the government’s right to maintain law and order is being drummed into the public consciousness.. (which wasn’t the case when the pro-Moscow government was in power and dealing with the maiden disturbances)

We see the same “balanced” reporting in Syria and even Yemen…In Syria, it’s only civilian casualties from Russian bombs that appear on our TV screens and newspapers, whist in Yemen, it is the Iranians that get blamed, though the maximum damage comes from UK & US supplied Saudi bombs…

In Saudi Arabia, the execution of a prominent Shia cleric is either been downplayed by Western media or given plausible explanation by their numerous experts because Iran is somehow involved.

Information is power and those who control the media, through which information can be spread, are very powerful because they can shape and influence public opinion, and thus, mass action/inaction.

Unfortunately, by constantly targeting our opposition for criticism and dismissing any chances of electoral victory against Jammeh, our media is actually influencing and shaping public opinion (because they are heard) against the opposition by encouraging voter apathy and creating the impression (in the public mind), of a lack of viable choice/option against Jammeh and the APRC…

The online media may actually be Jammeh’s greatest free PR tool through their misplaced priorities..

Thank you Deyda Haidara for a good article.

Ends