Sunday
22nd Dec 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Solih. Photo: President's Office.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has berated journalists who actively publish news disclosing the corrupt and discriminatory activities of the government.
President expressed his displeasure while speaking at the first award ceremony organized by the Broadcasting Commission.
He said that when people acquire something they've long desired, it may take some time to wear it out, and eventually they will.
The president had used old sayings, Dhivehi idioms or “harubas”, to convey that everything new will eventually age, and such is the case with journalism. Furthermore, President Solih stated that some situations may turn politicians into journalists and journalists into politicians.
President Solih said that responsible journalism entails that the reporter weighs the consequences of their words prior to publication. Moreover, he said that if one’s writings have the potential to wreak havoc and burn bridges, the power and freedom given to them is not being used responsibly.
The president said that not everything has to be written in the constitution word for word but it should be acknowledged as the basic guidelines of journalism ethics.
Addressing journalists, president Solih said that their opinions can differ from that of the government’s, they can even be discontent with him and feign aversion, however, no citizen can go against the country. He said that no one should attempt to falsify the truth and present fabrications as facts.
President Solih said that BroadCom and Media Council have the freedom to conduct themselves as independent institutions and there was no room for state influence on journalism.
Despite the president’s claims of a free press, journalists have been summoned to the police on account of the information they’ve divulged.