BY BILAL DERSO
ADDIS ABABA- Thousands of Ethiopians and Eritreans staged protest over CNN’s smear and misinformation campaign against Ethiopia on last Wednesday.
The rally that was organized by the Ethio-Eritrean Atlanta Taskforce was taken place in front of the Headquarters of Cable News Network (CNN) . The protesters called on the news media company to adhere professional and objective reporting and refrain from misinformation.
Speaking to local media, member of the rally’s organizing committee Lake Malede said that CNN is the main instrument for shaping the wrong and unfavorable perception of some western countries and institutions towards the current Ethiopian government.
Lake noted that CNN’s unbalanced and unsubstantiated reports, which are largely relying on unmanned ‘sources’ and ‘experts’ are the major driving force for the unjust stand the United Nations and U.S. policy making bodies including the Senate and Congress hold against Ethiopia. “Without physical presence, CNN is presenting false information about Ethiopia’s current situations for its global audience.”
“Accordingly, Ethiopians and Eritreans stood shoulder to shoulder and withstood the heavy rain and furious wind, called on CNN to stop disseminating fake news and follow ethical journalism.” The participants of the rally also urged international institutions to halt the intensified pressure, perpetuated by fabricated media contents, against the Ethiopian government.
He further stated that they sent complain letters to 75 CNN journalists via email two days prior to the demonstration and the task force’s press release was also attached to CNN’s staff in a bid to aware the reporters Ethiopia’s objective reality. Similar messages were also dispatched to Fox News, Channel 5, BBC and other international news media companies engaged in misinforming the world about Ethiopia.
Concerning the participation of Eritreans in the public rally, the organizer said that the event is historical in making the two countries diasporas to stand together for common cause and shunning the previous suspicion and hatred. Also, some African Americans partook in the demonstration and expressed solidarity through echoing Ethiopians’ message to CNN.
“We Ethiopians need to compromise our ethnic, religious and political differences and stand in unison to counter foreign enemies and their agents that wish to see a weak and disintegrated nation.”
The taskforce has far-reaching vision to defend the interest of Ethiopia and it will deliver letters and knock the doors of the state law makers and human right organizations to inform the latter about the underlying factors for Ethiopia’s current situation, Lake remarked.
The Ethiopian Herald April 3/2021
