Propaganda or consipiracy in the media?

Nov 02, 2001

Time has told on some trumped-up issues in our politics

By Ofwono Opondo DAVID Sseppuuya’s “Propaganda is alive in media” in the latest edition of The Sunday Vision was spot-on as a confession from a professional and a manager. But a more appropriate title to his article should have been “Conspiracy alive in the media.” Yes, it should bother us that dimwits and pseudo-intellectuals are permitted in our media to pass for neutral and objective experts. Sseppuuya’s candid writing now poses the challenges to the sacred doctrine of “factuality, neutrality, impartiality, professionalism and objectivity” in journalism, often peddled by those in the trade. His article coincided with another by Michael Moran, a former BBC analysts in the Sunday Monitor about the Saudi Al-Jazeera television. In it, Moran criticised the now US-led propaganda against Al-Jazeera as “attacking the message and the messenger at the same time” because it airs the views of Osama bin Laden, the alleged terrorist mastermind. President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Collin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice have voiced anger against the media and tried to stop them from airing Bin Laden’s views. In addition they have tried with moderate success to cover up, again using the media to let the public know the accurate account of the on-going campaign in Afghanistan. Moran attacked what he termed “the conspiracy of silence” among Western media about the US-led war against Iraq ten years ago. The media is quick to swallow George W. Bush claims that America is at war because of the September 11 attacks on New York and the Washington. Yet the same the media ignored the fact that for ten years now, not a single day has passed without a US military aircraft locking horns on to a target with a missile or bomb in Iraq. It is probably time to stand up to global as well as local bullies in the media who purport to be experts on subjects they know not. Now Sseppuuya posed a problem and the media ought to answer the billion-dollar question as to what happened to the much-hyped Hima-Tutsi dynasty (empire) Yoweri Museveni was building in conspiracy with Paul Kagame. The dynasty and akaju was/is spanned consciously by the critics and fanned by the headline writers because it is a false scoreboard. However, one can now see that the propaganda about the Movement government “hidden agenda” against the Acholi hammered for over a decade failed to re-ignite the Joseph Kony war. The dishonest and evil-minded who peddled those lies have been defeated and retreated or realized the futility of their enterprise. And surely only time will tell how long those trying to foment trouble between Uganda and Rwanda live. It is annoying that the same media that was vitriolic against any assistance to the RPA (1990-96) should now purport to be confident allies of the regime in Kigali and its certain ill-fated campaign against Uganda. It is also shameless that time changes and the same critics should allege Uganda’s intention to build a separate Tutsi and Hutu nations within Rwanda, without them appearing to contradict themselves. Apart from Hitler’s minister Joseph Goebbels, Uganda could as well emulate former Northcote Hall and appoints some media practitioners as ministers for regional co-operation, malice, propaganda, sabotage and war. It is the one sure way to carry on with the media conspiracy and propaganda against one’s country. Fortunately, they are not in charge of the country and cannot make war, but could certainly consolidate peace and good relations with neighbours if their energies were properly channeled. And it seems that with each receding day, the true intellectuals are absorbed in academic and research work leaving public debates to sojourners. The vibrant electronic and print media has replaced university platforms but without intellectuals writing and presenting researched papers. There should possibly be a benefit of hindsight and historical happening for the media, politicians and leaders in government to realize that they live in the same world so they do not rock the boat. Furthermore, it is important to realise the dangers of unwittingly becoming the couriers of propaganda and conspiracy. Going through stories in our media the Taleban have become Taleban, and Rwandese have become much themselves, but for some Ugandans they just do not give a hoot! It is admissible that in this so-called war especially of words, the media is not the origin of the spin as Sseppuuya argues. But neither is it a national service for the media practitioners and columnists to peddle lies, propaganda and conspiracies against their own country. And whereas sensation makes good editorial and commercial copy, Ugandans aught to realize that those across cannot allow the same material against themselves on their streets. Well Joseph Goebbels tried propaganda and was believed for some time but sooner the truth emerged and the Nazi was defeated and banished. Recently in Uganda there were people who rose through propaganda in the media but hardly six months later events show they are on the downward trend with a risk into oblivion. Many innocent and genuine people believed and supported them diligently, but the suckers as Sseppuuya calls them pay service to the propaganda. The greatest thing though is not to do away with the media and the propagandists but to educate and sometimes confront them with undeniable facts. That way we shall build a more durable society and peace. Ofwono Opondo is director of information and media relations at the Movement Secretariat

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