From election to inauguration times, some international media outlets have tried to paint a negative picture despite the glittering democratic achievement in the history of the country. The global cables have also been attempting to cast shadow on the whole process as they continued misinforming the international community with regard to the law enforcement operation in Tigray State. The media supported by paid activists and foreign entities injects a tsunami of fake information to put more pressure against the Ethiopian government. The biased reports of the global media in the election are the continuation of mistreatment in connection with law enforcement operation in Tigray State.
In fact, there has been outrage internally and externally in the behaviors of the international media outlets. Particularly, their handling of the Tigray situation has been lopsided and biased.
In broad daylight, some international media outlets have been disseminating misinformation and cooked up stories time and time again in connection with the law enforcement operation in the northern part of Ethiopia and perplexing the international community throwing a cold water to existing reality on the ground.
Sorrowfully, some organizations that are supposed to give considerable information and plausible reports are tracking to become the source of misinformation and disinformation more than ever before. Reasoning from this fact, Ethiopia has become victim of misinformation and disinformation on the grounds that some international media outlets have been mystifying the international community.
More often than not they give priority to fuel unrest across the nation bringing into play a wide spectrum of fake stories that can cause conflict among the general public.
In the same manner, as the self-appointed international media outlets have been unmasking their genuine personality and ulterior motive of their paymasters, they have been airing and publishing cooked up stories turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the present reality on the ground.
As an illustration, most of the media outlets take sides with the TPLF terrorist group labeled by the House of Peoples’ Representatives as a terrorist and partake in a smear campaign against Ethiopia with a view to bringing the ousted group to power and promoting the political and economic interest of their own.
Sad as it may sound, most prominent international media outlets have been largely echoing the agenda of some western nations opposed to the principles of impartiality and objectivity of journalism and known for deliberately picking out shreds of evidence that advances their respective vested interests while leaving out or ignoring the ‘unsuitable’ facts so that the attention of the whole world will be sidetracked to the few designated actualities they would like to see.
It is to be recalled that following the free, fair and credible elections that came into being all over the country in a peaceful atmosphere, Ethiopia took by surprise the international community and proved doomsday tellers wrong almost immediately. Ethiopians without regard to religious affiliation, political point of view, ethnic affiliation, and other things of a similar kind were able to partake in the poll with flying colors.
By the same token, Ethiopians managed to exercise their democratic rights in an enjoyable way and set a good example to the rest of Africa without any doubt. It is no hyperbole to say the incident marks a stark departure from the age-old tradition.
Despite the possibility that a diverse range of polls were held in the old days on the watch of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s predecessors, the intended goal could not be attained in view of the fact that they were sham ones that failed to win the trust of Ethiopians at home and abroad.
In stark departure from the reality, some international news cables tried to paint the successful poll negatively. The media tried to strike balance between the tall order and the difficult situations happening in very small areas of the country. They literally tried to give equal weight and compare the incomparable.
Shortly afterwards in the successful completion of the 6th Ethiopian National Election, quite a lot of nations and organizations encompassing those, who had suspicious about its fairness and peacefulness, have accepted the reality.
The media tried to strike balance between the tall order and the difficult situations happening in very small areas of the country. They literally tried to give equal weight and compare the incomparable.
Holding peaceful and democratic election has nothing to do with the law enforcement operation in Tigray State and the efforts to resolve the humanitarian situation in the state.
To the surprise of everyone, some international media outlets made an effort to report the inaugural ceremony of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed negatively on the grounds that nothing makes them happier than putting a damper on the image of the nation.
The international media outlets have been getting themselves involved in a wide spectrum of smear campaigns distancing themselves from the existing reality on the ground time after time. As they work shoulder to shoulder with activists and other actors who would like to dismantle Ethiopia, they leave no stone unturned to turn their dream into reality. More often than not, they have no room for journalistic ethics and standards except disseminating misinformation and disinformation and perplexing the international community.
The 6th general election was dubbed as a historic poll in the country in its credibility and inclusiveness. And, the country has passed through many ups and downs to reach this milestone election. Most of the international print and electronic media outlets have been pulling out all the stops with the intention of misrepresenting the existing reality on the ground. As a matter of fact, this sinister intent of some international media outlets has been widely witnessed in the situation in Tigray State and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The international media outlets did not give emphasis to heads of African states who attended the inaugural ceremony of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the remarks given by them regarding Ethiopia on the grounds that they do not want to hear and broadcast good things about the country.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD OCTOBER 8/2021
