Dagmawi’s war time cheap shot

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Dagmawi is a resourceful individual, but his dislike for the ruling party is a blind spot. His recent romanticization of Somali media is far from the reality of the state of media in Somali that it borders a farce. Unlike Dagmawi’s self serving diatribe the union of Somali journalists states sums the state of media in Somalia a such “The current common culture of Somali media outlet is a direct and indirect relationship with clan based faction leaders, promotion of clan interest and creation of propaganda for self-proclaimed regional administrations”
Far off from Dagmawi’s characterization of “advanced telecommunication network” that reach small villages, Somali’s infrastructure is the victim of 15 years of civil war that has left Somalia without government.

If anything the comparison should be made with the conduct of the private press of Ethiopia and that of Somalia. Before Dagmawi’s new found rallying mission of CUD’s distractive, undemocratic, civil disobedience, whose stand for press freedom is reflected in its decree not to listen government media and the ostracization of the private press those perceived to be supporting the ruling party, Dagmawi was a self proclaimed zebegna in support of the gutter press. While the government allowed the flourishing of print media none ever ventured to go out of Addis. Their main mission was not the integrity and advancement of media in Ethiopia but the demise of the ruling party – which they tried with hostility and outright lies since the declaration of the press freedom in Ethiapia. With the closing of such window they have exported it to the internet with more irresponsibility and disregard for the ethics of journalism.

To expect government stringers as that of the Somalis in Somalia is to mischaracterize the current war with the UIC extremists. But the government media is doing its best to inform the public about the war. While the credit goes to Dagmwi to his contrubition during the Ethio-Eritrea war, the government media has done its share in informing the public about the war (though the ending is to the disappointment of most people). The government has done its share keeping the private press up-to-date about the war and even Dagmawi who has got government accommodation in recognition of his effort. So to state that “If this war were taking place in Ethiopia we (the public) would know absolutely nothing” is either a memory lapse or out right disingenuous. Let us be clear we all have our misgivings about the Ethiopian media in general. Even EPRDF officials have their frustration with the government media. As is the government media can’t even be said that it is benefiting the ruling party. What has to be noted is that most other African media are relatively advanced as a legacy of colonization and Ethiopia’s media has a lot to learn in this regard. But there is nothing to be gained by the continued locking of horns between the ruling party and the extreme private press. A renegade press that does not recognize the government of the country and toils day in day out to undo it has no place in Ethiopia. What is needed is a press that knows its right and responsibility. In a time of You Tube, blogging, blaming the government press is lame when one has all the disposal to take a step and create a production that is of its own test.

For all his resourcefulness, Dagmawi is missing the opportunity to play positively with the democratic space created and is being expanded in Ethiopia. In the near future there will be time when the opposition parties and the ruling party will agree on the future of the media. When that time comes is the private media ready to accommodate them responsibly or is it going to be a tool to axe each other and be a medium for insurrection against the government? If anything Stateless Somalia is a lesson to the private press. Maybe such insight requires for once to get rid the glass of hate and see the opportunity to move Ethiopia for the better.

No wishful prophesy and countdown will change the fact that the ruling party is here to stay. And what a waste to loose objectivity for a lost cause!

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