ASOJ Voices Concern over Somalia’s Draft Media Law

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ASOJ Voices Concern over Somalia’s Draft Media Law

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Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ) welcomes the establishment of the proposed draft media law in Somalia, but strongly questions some provisions, including the representation of the Somali National Journalists, within the law.
ASOJ is calling for the Somali government to amend the article on the source authenticity, since its implementation in a lawless country is a very dangerous to the lives of the already suffering journalists.

ASOJ considers the desire of the Somali Federal Government, aiming at the establishment of a non-inclusive National Journalists Council, as “unfortunate”.
ASOJ found out that the government proposed NJC members contain, according to the new draft media law as follows;
-Five Independent Journalists representing one side of the divided Media organization NUSOJ.
-Five Journalists from the Somali Government’s Information Ministry
- Three lawmakers within the Somali Parliament
In the light of these things and the current difficult conditions, in which the Somali media is working in, ASOJ calls for the Somali government to remove the lawmakers from the proposed National Journalists’ Council and in the meantime make the council all- inclusive , representing the all registered Media Organizations of Somalia.
ASOJ notes that it would never accept any kind of so-called National Journalists’ Council that gives the majority to the government of Somalia.
ASOJ makes it clear that it would never accept the draft media law, if the article on the news sourcing Anonymity is not removed.
Our concern is that if the draft is passed into law, journalists will be forced to disclose their sources, media houses will be compelled to name their unnamed reporters and those working for foreign media will be discriminated.
Finally, ASOJ joins the Somali journalists in their campaign to have the law amended.
By Dahir Alasow – ASOJ Chairman and Media Rights Activists
Emails: [email protected] / [email protected]/ [email protected]
Tel: 0031684863567 /00442033718795/00252616654337/00254726505837
Mogadishu –Somalia / Breda – Netherlands/London –UK/Nairobi -Kenya