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MEDIA
Increasing violence in the Kinshasa Press
Not a single day goes by, that the Kinshasa press is broadcasting articles very similar to those published in the past by the radio and newspapers of Kigali’s extremists which started the genocide in Rwanda. These are the kind of headlines, backed up by names, appearing in the Congolese press: «Minister....in cahoots with the rebels»; or «Minister...steals government vehicle»; or «Prison or hanging for Minister...». such violent headlines are penned by people well known to the readers and have become text book cases. More and more researchers in the whole business of communications have taken as their subject such themes as: «Political violence in the Press during Zaire’s transition period — the Salongo and Umoja cases»; or «Symbolic violence in the print media — An essay on Conflict Analysis in the Palmarès newspaper». These are two subjects chosen by students sitting their final examinations at the Information and Communications’ Institute of the Kinshasa Catholic University College.
In their book «The Media Challenged», E. Dennis and J.C. Merril wrote: «The capacity to inform bestows a certain power to the Media». As with all kinds of power used without professional ethical principles, there is the danger of a downward spiral in the correct use of the Press. Remember — the Press is there not just to inform, but also to educate and instruct.
What about today’s Press in Kinshasa?
There’s a group of journalist-editors who, instead of presenting facts as they really happen — facts which can be checked and commented on — seem to be hell-bent on using every nefarious trick of the trade to insult, denigrate, make unwarranted accusations, blackmail, defame. Through their articles, headlines and cartoons, they’ve set their minds to humiliate the nation’s political leaders and other authorities. Even the Head of State is not spared. These type of journalists simply ignore all sense of social responsibility, at the same time manipulating consciences as they wish. They take press freedom to mean saying and printing what you want.
They’ve even done their best to usurp the State’s authority, be it political or legal. They’ve set themselves up as guardians of the body politic, declaring that such and such a minister ought to be in the government rather than another. They consider themselves to be the nation’s judges and are quite prepared to condemn some unfortunate victim in their publications, without offering any proof of guilt — thus exposing the accused to popular incrimination. In the worst scenario, they call upon their readers to resort to murder.
Settling scores
Some Kinshasa newspapers have used their columns to settle old scores, to flaunt jealousies, to advance their personal ambitions. They go all out to harm the dignity of the nation’s leaders, and rarely make any positive contribution to strengthening national unity or nation-building. More enlightened media workers hardly ever make their influence felt.
The journalist-editors we’re talking about are quick to make a point which in no way can they prove. Lacking any shred of evidence, they claim that such and such a minister has misappropriated the State’s wealth. And when it’s proved that the minister is «not guilty», they lack the courage to recognise their professional weaknesses, and want, at all costs, to deprive their victim of the right to reply. Accustomed, as they are, to publish the kind of news which can’t be verified, in order to harm people, they invent anything so as to reach their target.
With such articles, the journalist-editors in question, (maybe unwittingly), promote disunity among the population. Even those who pretend to be, or who trumpet it about that they’re journalists or editors of pro-government newspapers, ill-serve the Government by keeping up a spirit of disunity among the population. This can only profit the nation’s enemies.
Ambitions
Such journalist-editors make their position plain. They brook no opposition: «Get out of my way. I’m taking over», is their message and so make their aim clear — they’re the ones who are going to rule the roost in media circles. It’s all right to have ambitions, that’s quite normal, but not at the expense of others and certainly not in such a derogatory way which in normal circumstances would result in legal proceedings. And when the law of the land does intervene, they’re the first to shout that press freedom is under attack, or to seek protection from the nation’s political leaders. They forget that their articles can have incalculable consequences.
For example, how can a supposedly serious newspaper print the following story with enormous headlines. «Our editor drives the best car amongst all RDC‘s press magnates»? How’s it possible to publish such a story when everyone knows his particular newspaper only publishes a few hundred copies? Likewise, what interest is there, when what is generally considered to be a serious broadsheet runs a story (with enormous headlines) that its editor is the best dressed, has the best shoes, the most expensive hairdo and dabs himself with the most costly perfume. Who cares! It all sounds like scenes from a musical! Which all goes to show that the profession is infiltrated by people completely lacking in culture and the required training as a journalist. Such people would like to transform this noble profession into a jungle where law, ethics and professional obligations are trampled under foot. If this kind of Press is not stopped in its tracks, it will again wreck havoc on the country.
Hence, the necessity of controlling the Press. The Inter-Congolese Dialogue foresaw the establishment of a Superior Media Authority. The government, on the other hand, thinks it better to organise a Congress, to allow professional journalists themselves to establish new regulations for the profession, such as: A Press Watchdog; a Superior Audiovisual Council, and organisations which would enable journalists to become aware of their responsibilities.
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