‘ Media’s practical purposes of educating, informing the people as well as its role of bridging the government and the governed had been far from being effective in Ethiopia. The use of media for such purposes can only be seen as recent phenomena.
Mainstream media in the developed world is counted as a tool to create and shape generations to be patriotic, industrious and preach unity and democracy. Understanding the double edged purposes, specialists and governments wisely managed to use media for positive goals. If not managed responsibly, media could be dangerous and could cause serious harms on people and groups.
History has well recorded it when media was misguided and used as responsible for igniting WWI and WWII that were reportedly said to have claimed millions of human lives and billion dollars. Most of the deadly wars our world has experienced are arguably caused by negatively misguided media outlets including Rwanda’s shocking genocide.
Rightly so, it has to be managed carefully and constitutionally to purposely avoid its downside. When used wisely, nothing could be compared with media in preaching love, pardon, tolerance and common prosperity of human beings. So, internationally recognized and agreed core principles of both private and public Medias are set so that positive outcomes of it should be achieved and its negativity be avoided.
Professionalism, fairness, serving the truth, impartiality and professional integrity are the core guiding principles of any media deemed to bring peace, tolerance and enlightenment in the ever troubling world. Accordingly, those countries that strictly followed these core values have been able to develop themselves, enlighten generations and equip them with democracy, rationality as well as national unity.
Those who have use media irresponsibly are politically unstable, socially dismantled and economically poor whereas religious, tribalism and ideologies driven differences dominant claim millions of innocents. Where there is reluctance, there are hatefully, racially, religiously and ideologically moderated attacks among societies which potentially generate enormous devastating killings eventually.
History has enough of it anyways. In Ethiopia, media has two fundamental national missions: that are creating national consensus locally and building Ethiopia’s good image externally. Admittedly, Ethiopia’s media is empowered to build national consensus through enlightening generations to narrow differences and maintain unifying spirits so that the essences of tolerance, respect, patriotism and the culture of democratic and sense of mutual prosperity attitudes be flourished in the new generations.
Accommodating diversity and living in unity could be where media specialists should focus on in shaping the media outlets toward a better use. It will also shape the media discharge its responsibilities of building the good image of Ethiopia to the outside that in turn could contribute to the increment of investment, trade; tourism and the likes.
The aim of media is also helping the country get its deserved and right place in the international diplomatic arena through introducing the true image and potentiality of the country. Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed promoted the idea of unity, love; pardon and sense of belongings towards each-other so that we can jointly and harmonically develop Ethiopia which could possibly accommodate us all.
Likewise, engaging in self-destructive activities which may throw us to the bottomless pit should not get disadvantage us all equally knowing that the ongoing irresponsibleness of some peoples would devastate Ethiopia potentially. If we work hard towards destroying Ethiopia, then we should know that we are working it to make ourselves a stateless citizen, the Prime Minister is right in this regard.
How come we Ethiopians make busy ourselves to hurt ourselves? Let us identify our differences and promote the vast areas where we can mostly agree each other at least in things taking Ethiopia to advanced and cohesively democratic state indeed. Let’s also agree to narrow our differences. However, his reforms should get media coverage.
Evaluating, thus, objectively what has been done in realities regarding public relation in Ethiopia in the last years in achieving the two huge missions, it is not enough though. Much remains to be done. For example, the party and government public relations and public Media policies established to carry out these significant unity projects have either failed to realize or are not being managed and principled as intended.
Something has gone wrong. The various Media centers of the government or the Party’s even ironically failed to introduce the basic concept and benefit of federalism, constitutionalism, unity and development to the very people targeted to be cultured. The government introduced the concept of developmental journalism to be the guidance of the public Medias where they are even short of it.
Investigative journalism was also introduced to assess and expose corruption, bad governance, injustice and other illegal activities and encourage good doings of the public endeavors but Media center was not interested or committed in implementing it other than reporting individual’s personal cult issues. As a result, rent seekers have been hiding and comfortable just because we did not practice investigative journalism.
The party formulated serious national policies like industry, foreign security policy and strategy, rural and agricultural policy, investment policy and other sound policies. However, either its branch of public relation or the Medias did not give much attention in providing the public detailed analysis and significance of the various policies and their current fruits.
The public relation did not do enough activities in making the general public aware of what democratic developmental state means, or the vision and the mission of the country. Much is left even in telling the public about the products of the various policies in the last 20 years, where Ethiopia is currently found and where it is heading to as well. What are the fruits of the federalism system, the constitution, the policies in the last 20 years and what are the achievements and failures too? What are the future challenges of the state and their solutions? These critical concepts which are very important to Ethiopians are not even well understood by the majority of civil servants and party cadres, journalists, university community and the very people of Ethiopia at large.
It will not be a mistake to argue the many senior party members and government officials do not understand the above mentioned concepts well. We have seen them while delivering mistaken concepts to the public at gathering ceremonies which is clearly an indication of their limited understanding what their party, government is doing.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY ZERAY HAILEMARIM
