Political Perspective

IT’S high time that Government started playing open cards with the media, this newspaper in particular, especially when it comes to issues of national interest.

Too often the President, but also his Ministers, include only what is known as ‘Government media’, and in so doing often fail to get important messages across to the nation. They must realise, once and for all, that the private media are not the ‘enemy’! In fact, whether they choose to recognise the fact or not, media are instrumental (even crucial) in communication channels between Government and people and vice versa.ONLY last week President Hifikepunye Pohamba travelled to Oshakati where he visited flood victims.The private media were apparently ignored, since coverage of the event was restricted to NBC and New Era, it appears.We are not asking for a ‘free ride’ with Government, merely the courtesy to inform us that such visit is taking place.The Namibian and other private media have given much coverage to the dire situation in which many of our people find themselves in the North as a result of flooding.To add to this, The Namibian is also part of a committee which is actively campaigning for funds for these disaster-struck areas, and committing resources to this end.But at no point were we informed of the President’s visit to those displaced by floods and who are being temporarily housed in a centre there.So it was a question of coverage after the fact.Reports on the actual visit, as far as I am aware, appeared in the Government newspaper and on NBC TV only.This is not the first time this has happened.Only recently another Minister did a similar thing, later apologising to this newspaper, but of course as far as the broader public is concerned, the criticism may be erroneously targeted towards the media as being the culprits and failing to turn up at the event, since they are not generally aware of the fact that we were not considered.Government needs to be even-handed with the media at all times, and there is no place for bias when it comes to at least informing us of the calendar of events for the Head of State or prominent Ministers.We accept that when it comes to Presidential trips abroad, only State media are considered and travel with the delegations to foreign capitals at State cost.We would prefer to pay our way.But when it comes to events in Namibia, then the least we can expect is to be informed of such happenings beforehand.There is after all, a Ministry of Information, and as if that was not enough, each Ministry and State House itself has their own liaison personnel.So there should be no excuse that they don’t have the (wo)manpower to inform the media.Government simply has to get its act together.They are quick to demand a media council even when there is scant understanding as to what the media are about! To add insult to injury, the Government website lists on its front page ‘Namibian newspapers’, but The Namibian doesn’t appear there.(There are other newspapers not listed either).This is the official website which is presumably accessed by many people abroad in search of information on this country, yet Government decides to inform the world that The Namibian doesn’t exist! Nampa, however, the Government press agency, is listed as a newspaper.One wonders whether their demand for the media in general to deal only in ‘facts’ and ‘truth’ as Swapo Vice President Hage Geingob rather naively puts it, applies to their own set-up.Apparently not.For this is nothing other than misrepresentation of the media in this country, and Government should put this right without further ado.We can’t of course, even when and if invited to all manner of functions, attend them all, given our limited resources.But certainly Government cannot afford to ignore us on the bigger stories with national impact.So it would be a positive step if Government, as we head towards two decades of independence for this country, embarks on a new and more positive approach to the media in general, and the so-called private media in particular.And they don’t need a media council to do that.They must realise, once and for all, that the private media are not the ‘enemy’! In fact, whether they choose to recognise the fact or not, media are instrumental (even crucial) in communication channels between Government and people and vice versa.ONLY last week President Hifikepunye Pohamba travelled to Oshakati where he visited flood victims.The private media were apparently ignored, since coverage of the event was restricted to NBC and New Era, it appears.We are not asking for a ‘free ride’ with Government, merely the courtesy to inform us that such visit is taking place.The Namibian and other private media have given much coverage to the dire situation in which many of our people find themselves in the North as a result of flooding.To add to this, The Namibian is also part of a committee which is actively campaigning for funds for these disaster-struck areas, and committing resources to this end.But at no point were we informed of the President’s visit to those displaced by floods and who are being temporarily housed in a centre there.So it was a question of coverage after the fact.Reports on the actual visit, as far as I am aware, appeared in the Government newspaper and on NBC TV only.This is not the first time this has happened.Only recently another Minister did a similar thing, later apologising to this newspaper, but of course as far as the broader public is concerned, the criticism may be erroneously targeted towards the media as being the culprits and failing to turn up at the event, since they are not generally aware of the fact that we were not considered.Government needs to be even-handed with the media at all times, and there is no place for bias when it comes to at least informing us of the calendar of events for the Head of State or prominent Ministers.We accept that when it comes to Presidential trips abroad, only State media are considered and travel with the delegations to foreign capitals at State cost.We would prefer to pay our way.But when it comes to events in Namibia, then the least we can expect is to be informed of such happenings beforehand.There is after all, a Ministry of Information, and as if that was not enough, each Ministry and State House itself has their own liaison personnel.So there should be no excuse that they don’t have the (wo)manpower to inform the media.Government simply has to get its act together.They are quick to demand a media council even when there is scant understanding as to what the media are about! To add insult to injury, the Government website lists on its front page ‘Namibian newspapers’, but The Namibian doesn’t appear there.(There are other newspapers not listed either).This is the official website which is presumably accessed by many people abroad in search of information on this country, yet Government decides to inform the world that The Namibian doesn’t exist! Nampa, however, the Government press agency, is listed as a newspaper.One wonders whether their demand for the media in general to deal only in ‘facts’ and ‘truth’ as Swapo Vice President Hage Geingob rather naively puts it, applies to their own set-up.Apparently not.For this is nothing other than misrepresentation of the media in this country, and Government should put this right without further ado.We can’t of course, even when and if invited to all manner of functions, attend them all, given our limited resources.But certainly Government cannot afford to ignore us on the bigger stories with national impact.So it would be a positive step if Government, as we head towards two decades of independence for this country, embarks on a new and more positive approach to the media in general, and the so-called private media in particular.And they don’t need a media council to do that.