Actes contre nature à Keur Massar : La presse et la police au banc des accusés
The case of the individuals arrested in Keur Massar for unnatural acts has been a major news story for two days. The handling of this information has revealed the worst of what is happening in the press, sometimes in collusion with the police. On its Facebook page, a web TV channel called Média Sénégal tv published the list of the 17 alleged culprits, including their names, ages, professions, and neighborhoods of residence. This media outlet itself cites the daily newspaper Libération. However, Média Sénégal tv defines itself as "a leading news outlet on the continent."
How can a leading media outlet on a continental scale ignore the most basic rules of journalism? Being in the press does not give permission to publish an individual's personal data, even if they are found guilty, let alone when they are presumed innocent. However, regardless of the popular outcry, these 17 individuals are presumed innocent under the law until the day the court pronounces them guilty. This is therefore an extremely serious act committed by both a traditional media outlet (Libération has been in existence for 14 years) and a new media outlet.
Yet, the newspaper Libération is supposed to know the seriousness of such an act. Even if you're an "expert in nothing," you should be aware of this basic principle, especially if you claim to be "curious about everything." The most worrying thing is that the article is signed by Cheikh Mbacké Guissé (initials), the Publication Director. CMG has, however, accumulated more than 15 years of activity. This means that the seniority required by the press code is not necessarily a guarantee of responsibility. In fact, what the newspaper and the web TV channel don't seem to appreciate is the risk of confusion in this Senegalese society where people are champions at shortcuts and rumor-mongering.
Today, the misfortune of having the same name and profession as a presumed culprit can make a peaceful citizen the perfect culprit in a neighborhood. Some will reveal all the evil they know about you and even the evil they don't know about you, because simply the coincidence of name and profession makes you the guilty party. Thus, an innocent person who knows nothing about this affair will add to "the long list of 'information casualties'" (François-Régis Huti, former CEO of the Ouest-France group). All this because it's interesting for the reader. Regardless of the consequences. Huti certainly recognizes that there is a real expectation among readers regarding news stories, which makes them popular with audiences, but there is also, he adds, "an expectation of sociological fairness" among readers. "Hiding behind 'popular expectations' is the ultimate form of contempt," he maintains.
The police and the justice system too
However, it must be admitted that the press is not the only culprit in this affair. The police are also in the dock. If the journalist was able to obtain so much information, it is because he was able to access the hearing report. Of course, there can be collaboration between police, justice, and the press, but the rules must be well defined and the limits set. First, the police must not issue a ticket. But if they decide to do so, they must ensure that they are dealing with a journalist who knows their job well, in other words, who knows that not everything they get their hands on is for publication. In journalism, between gathering and disseminating, there is the processing that separates professionals from amateurs. Processing information requires knowledge, rigor, ethics, and mastery of the techniques of this profession.
Faced with these remarks about the shortcomings, some will rush to say that this is homosexuality, a practice rejected by society, so there are no half measures, we must be firm. It is worth remembering that judgment does not come from the press, nor from the police, much less from public opinion. Then, once the breach of the media tribunal is opened, it becomes uncontrollable. And tomorrow, it will be the innocent who will pay the price for the abrogation of the presumption of innocence in the media.
The practice is already quite widespread in political and judicial cases. The press publishes the smallest details of certain cases. Those concerned are informed of certain facts in the same way as the public. And we turn a blind eye to the boundary between public and private life. We have even seen reports circulating on social media about a case of extreme seriousness for the country. All this because we were in a political and media battle. This is why Huti wonders if journalists, lawyers, and magistrates should not "choose silence and wait for the hearing where the principle of contradictory information will finally be restored?"
It is therefore time for the media, the judicial police, and the judiciary to pull themselves together before it is too late. Violating rules and laws benefits none of the three. For the press, it is also time to provide regulatory and self-regulatory bodies with the appropriate status and resources. The credibility of the press is at stake, but above all, it is about protecting the honor and dignity of citizens in the face of media abuse.
PS : The police and gendarmerie took photos of arrested individuals with their backs to them. Increasingly, they are taken from the front and some faces are barely blurred (migrants arrested in Sokone, for example). This violence of the presumption of innocence exposes the presumed guilty and definitively condemns them before a trial even takes place.
Commentaires (27)
Habituellement les sournaleux sont comme les charognards, ils se jettent sur les détritus sans état d'âme.
Ces nullards sans foi ni loi savent alimenter la curiosité malsaine de certains lecteurs, c'est leur gagne-pain
Les faits raportés se déroulaient dans une propriété privée, c'est donc un délit commis par ces nullards gratte-papier.
Chacun joue à la vierge éffarouchée bien que l'homosexualité est une évidence dans notre pays comme partout ailleurs.
Au nom de la religion, ces nullards seraient capables d'accuser, de faire tuer père et mère, cette religion qui ferait bien de se remettre en question : esclavage de petits talibés, abus sexuels et rapacité sont leur mode de fonctionnement.
COMBIEN DE TEMPS DEVRONS-NOUS ENCORE ATTENDRE POUR L'ABOLITION DE CES HORREURS ?
Beaucoup d’expressions de type pornographique m’ayant pas leur place dans un article de presse
Mais ça c’est aussi la faiblesse du vocabulaire des journalistes
Très peu te lirons quelques rares auront compris, beaucoup te taxeront de pro lgbt,
tiey yala.. ici meme au senegal et puis sans arriere pensee.
Alahou Akbar.
Une rare fois que je lis l'article de cet auteur jusqu' à la fin.
Amusez vous bien 😆
Ni la police, ni la gendarmerie encore moins la justice ne doivent servir de source à ces journalistes qui ne sont des professionnels que de nom
La confusion ne va pas jusqu'à l'autre personne soit aussi entre les mains de la justice quand-même
Article très pertinent et très bien écrit 👍
C'est juste des mercenaires des reseaux sociaux.
Publier n'importe quoi pour faire des vues et monetiser.
Ils ne font plus un métier de journaliste. Ce sont des "créateurs de contenus" comme tous ces décérébrés qui font tout et n'importe quoi pour générer des vues.
Merci à l'auteur.
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