NATIONAL COMMUNICATION COUNCIL
COMMUNIQUE
4 JUNE 2015
The Vice-president of the National
Communication Council informs promoters, media
professionals and the general public that on 30 April 2015, this autonomous
regulatory body held its 10th ordinary session, in compliance with the
provisions of Decree No 2012/038 of 23 January 2012 reorganising the NCC.
The agenda of the proceedings
focused mainly on preparations for the 2015 commemoration of the World Press
Freedom Day and ten (10) case reviews. The following decisions were taken after
the reviews:
1/- In Afriland First Bank’s case
against “Le Renard”,
The complaining financial
institution petitioned the NCC against the print media organ named “Le Renard”
for publishing unfounded accusations that may be prejudicial to its image in
its 038th issue of 19 February 2015.
The Council,
after establishing the responsibility of the newspaper’s publisher given the
publication of unfounded claims, which neither fulfilled the requirements of
verification nor balance in the treatment of information, separately
suspended “Le Renard” and its publisher from practicing the journalism
profession in Cameroon for a period of six (06) months for misconduct which
constitutes violations of professional ethics in mass communication.
2/- Concerning Pamol
Plantation Ltd’s case against “Cameroon Herald”,
Following the
publication of unfounded accusations of mismanagement and embezzlement in its
090th issue against the Interim General Manager of Pamol Plantations
Plc and certain senior public figures,
The Council,
after establishing the responsibility of the publisher of the newspaper in
question for not respecting the requirements of verification and balance, separately
suspended “Cameroon Herald” and its publisher from practicing the journalism
profession in Cameroon for a period of six (06) months for misconduct which
constitutes violations of professional ethics in mass communication.
3/- In the
NCC’s case against “Afrique Media”,
The Council:
-
Based on the programmes “Le mérite panafricain” and “le débat panafricain”
broadcast respectively on the aforementioned television station on 1, 8, 20, 27
February and 16 March 2015 during which certain guests leveled baseless
accusations and incitement to hatred likely to impair the image and dignity of
personalities, institutions and foreign countries;
-
Specifying that the choice of guests and the conduct of television programmes
are the responsibilities of their presenters;
-
Taking into account repeated professional slips of a similar nature which
prompted it to call the attention of “Afrique Media’s” management to the risks
involved in broadcasting live programmes with contributions from guests, some
of whose spur-of-the-moment declarations can cause irreparable damage,
-
Recalling that pledges to respect professional ethics made by the management of
Afrique Media after they were first summoned before the NCC were never followed
by action,
-
Noting that the generalization of the aforementioned professional breaches have
resulted in detrimental confusion between free speech and the violation of the
dignity of moral and physical persons, suspended Afrique Media for a period
of one month, and Magne Tada Juliana and Mohammed Bachir Ladan , presenters of
the aforementioned programmes for six (06) months each from practicing
journalism in Cameroon for repeated professional misconduct characterized by a
lack of control of the aforementioned programmes permitting the guests to make
unjustified accusations likely to impair the image and honour of personalities,
institutions and foreign countries.
4/- In the NCC’s case against “LTM”,
The Council, which reproached Awilo,
presenter of the programme “Town Cryer” on LTM for making an unjustified
accusation concerning the war between Cameroon and the Islamist sect Boko Haram
which is likely to impair the honour and dignity of a foreign country, separately
suspended the programme “Town Cryer” and its presenter from practicing
journalism in Cameroon for a period of three (03) months for broadcasting a
baseless accusation which constitutes violation of professional ethics in mass
communication.
5/- In Martinez Zogo’s case against
“Climat Social”,
Mr. Martinez Zogo, journalist at
“Amplitude FM” filed a petition to the NCC against the newspaper “Climat
Social”, following the publication in its 0061st issue of
unjustified accusations which impinged on his person and dignity.
The Council,
After confirming the responsibility
of “Climat Social’s” publisher pertaining to his media organ’s non respect for
the professional requirements of verification and balance resulting in the
publication of unjustified accusations against the petitioner, separately
suspended “Climat Social” and its publisher from practicing journalism in
Cameroon for a period of six (06) months for misconduct which constitutes
violation of professional ethics in mass communication.
6/- Concerning Oswald Baboke’s case
against “Royal FM”,
Mr. Oswald Baboke, Technical Adviser
at the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic, filed a petition to the
NCC against “Royal FM” after the presenter of the programme “le débat
républicain” broadcast on 2 February 2015 on this radio station, declared that
the petitioner embezzled the sum of 15,000, 000 FCFA, which Cameroon’s First
Lady allegedly sent to Mr. Emmanuel Mbombog Mbog Matip.
The Council,
After establishing the
responsibility of “Royal FM” and that of the presenter of the contested
programme for failing to respect the two-fold requirement of verification and
balance in the treatment of information which led to the broadcast of an
unfounded accusation likely to violate the petitioner’s dignity, separately
suspended “Royal FM” for one (01) month and Mr. Martin Marcelin Ateba,
presenter of the programme “le débat républicain” for three (03) months from
practicing journalism in Cameroon, for misconduct which constitutes violation
of professional ethics in mass communication.
7/- In Vincent Nji Ndumu’s case
against “Vanguard”,
Mr. Vincent Nji Ndumu, Governmnt
Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, filed a petition to the NCC against the
print media organ “Vanguard” following the publication of accusations of
mismanagement in the exercise of his duties in its 120th issue of 9
February 2015.
The Council,
After establishing the
responsibility of the publisher of the newspaper in question for breaching the
dual requirement of verification and balance in the treatment of information
which resulted in the publication of unfounded claims against the petitioner, separately
suspended “Vanguard” and its publisher for six (06) months from practicing the
journalism profession in Cameroon, for misconduct which constitutes violation
of professional ethics in mass communication.
8/- In the cases between Mr. Issa Tchiroma
Bakary, Minister of Communication and “Mutations”, “Quotidien Emergence” and
“Le Messager”, following:
-
The publication of information concerning a photograph of the Head of State
bowing before the remains of soldiers who died in the war front posted on the
Presidency of the Republic’s website on 09 March 2015,
-
And the republication by these newspapers of an article about the health
condition of Cameroon’s presidential couple originally published on the website
of the “Le Monde” newspaper,
The Council,
After a debate which took Members’
contradictory positions into account, decided to defer its deliberation on
the three aforementioned cases.
For the Council,
The Vice-President,
Peter Essoka
Peter Essoka
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