War of Words - Journalism v. Opinion in Somalia/land

[wind.talker]

I was reading the online version of Hargeisa-based Jamhuuriya Newspaper when I came across an interesting 'news' article about the 'feelings' of Reer Laascaanood on the recent Puntland presidential election.

 

http://www.jamhuuriya.info/index.php?art_id=1334&categ=1&expand=1&file=view_article.tp

 

HIGHLIGHT:

 

Si kastaba ha ahaatee doorashada ka dhacday Puntland waxa ay u muuqata mid wax weyn ka bedeshay aragtida shacbiga reer Sool, ee markii hore in badan oo ka mid ahi ay si weyn u taageeri jireen,balse ay hadda u muuqatay inaanay jirin wixii ay ku riyoon jireen , oo ahayd inay isu sharixi karaan Madaxweyne ulana simanyihiin Beesha M********n.

 

The writer of the piece overtly adds his opinion - for how could he know the 'dreams' of Reer Laascaanood?

 

Sites such as AllPuntland.com, RadioLaascaanood.com, GedoNet.com, HobyoNet.com, RadioSomaliland.com and many others - are fiercely loyal to the political agendas of whatever territory(ies) they supposedly represent.

 

Do Somali-owned newspapers know the difference between opinion and journalism? Or are they mere mouthpieces for the various political groupings/factions?

 

P.S. I used the Jamhuuriya piece only as an example because its the only newspaper based in Somalia (or Somaliland, if you prefer) with a daily online version that I could find. Feel free to share more examples.

[SOO MAAL]

Cajiib waa maxay waxan propaganda waa ka daran yahay, Jamhuuriya waxeey jabisay xeerarkii saxaafada caalamka waxeena u dhaqmasaa sidii eey u hadasho kooxda riyaale,

 

Jamhuuriya waxeey faafinasaa been cad, waxa ey aheed hadii ey sheegaso been, in ay sheegtu been run u eeg ama propaganda.

 

Hadaba Jamhuuriya mafiicna inay been u sheegtu shacabka reer woqooyi galbeed been aan la rumeesan karin. Jamhuuriya waxa ay aheed jariidada ugu wanaagsan waxa somaliland, hada lakiin been uun baa kaso hadhay.

 

Anuu hadaan ahay reer waqooyi galbeed kasoo taageersan midnimada soomaliya, malihi waxa uu qoray mr kayse waxba kama jiraan ee waxaan leeyahay waxa uu ku koobay ra'yigiisa gaarka ah, hadii nin reer sool usku soo sharaxo madaxtinimada puntland miyeenan macneheedu aheeninay taageersnanyihiin, oo si dimoqraadi ah looga guuleystay, hadii laeego dhinaca somaliland iskaba daa in nin reer sool usku soo sharaxo madaxtinimada somaliland eeba sanaadiiqdii doorashaba lamageen sool.

 

Waxaa kaluu laga war qabaa waxii kaqabsadey mr riyaale magaalade laascaanood sida loo soo cayriyey sheekadee ku magac baxdey the runner, wa xaa kaluu laga war qabaa sidii aad wanaag saneed ee luugusoo dhoweeyey mr muuse cade magaalada laascaanood markii uu socday campaign kii doorashada puntland.

 

 

Markaa walaalda reer somaliland waxaan usheeqayaa reer sool ma dhowa! ee kasbada Qaybaaba loogabaqayaa inuu iskaga taku somaliland.

 

hadii aano rabno in ay reer sool nasoo raacaan waa inaa wax badan u gabanaa....

 

 

Jamhuuriye waxa ey u baa hantahay inay kalasaartu ra'yiga gaarka ah ee Mr.Kayse Axmed Digaale oo ah subjective iyo warka (xaqiiqda ama facts) oo ah objective

 

 

waa iga soo aale haduu riyaale ku fashililahaa madaxtinimada somaliland maxawaa la oran lahaa reer borama wey naceen somaliland? Janmhuuriya caqli isticmaal

 

Waxaa xaqqiiq ah, wax kasta oo ka dhaca puntland ineen jirin qof reer sool ah oo taageersan somaliland sida eey tahay waayo ( Dowlada puntland weey ka shqeesaa sool, reer sool na jaguuyin waaween bey kahayaan puntland, musharaxiintii madaxtinimada puntlan dhamaan weey booqdeen laascaanood sifiican baalaqu soo dhoweeyey, marka la eego somaliland kama talisu sool, dhowrnin baa ka jooga sool hargaysa, hogaamiyaasha xisbiyada somalilan ma tagi karaan laascaanood)

 

 

Anuu waxaan ku talin lahaa in la iska dhaafo somaliland iyo punland oo Jamhuuriyada Soomaliyeed laga taageero

 

Waxaan kaloo oran lahaa intii somaliland la ilaawo, in aanu sheegano reer waqooyi si loosoo jiitu reer sool lana maqashiiyo midnomo, waayo hadii reer sool lamaqashiiyo midnimo weey ku tageerayaan 100%. (Reer sool waxey aamin san yihiin somaliland inay tahay snm ama iny ku koobantahy woqooyigalbeed)

 

Madaama aan ahay nin reer woqooyi galbeed ah oo amin san midnima soomaliya, waxaan taageersanahay inay somaalidu wax ku qeebsadaan woqooyi iyo koonfir (lakiin midnimada soomaliya a yaa wax kasta ka horeesa oo gorgortan ma gasho, midnimadu waa lama huran waana mugadas). Waxaan hubaa in walaalada reer sool ila wadaagaan ra'yigaas, Somaliland iyo go'itaanku wuu uun si fogeenayaa reer sool dhinaca puntland.

 

mida kale riyaale, cabdulaahi, cadde, caddow,siilanyo, qaybe, qaasim mexee kale yihiin kuli waa isku mid waa isku mid waa haraagii siyaad barre, kuli waxey u shaqeenayeen 1988kii ilaayo 1991 markii uu dagaalku qarxay.

[Qudhac]

wind

 

this was put as writters Opinion since it was an individuall stating what he thinks, this is normal in any newspaper they have section where the editor/reporter has his own opinions on what he THINKS about current political or otherwise issues.

 

i think you have been unfair and redicolouse to compare jamhouriya newspaper with such trash as allpuntland.com jamhouriya is a respectable newspaper in somaliland and by somalis at large, this newspaper has at taken step farward in somali standards atleast, when you look at how critical and unbaised they are towards somaliland authorities to the point of having their editor arrested, they covered the Embagati saga with degree of fairness when most of the other somaliland media totaly ignored it maybe with the exception of Haatuf newspapar.

 

so to say this is a voice of clan is rubish because i used to buy that newspaper and its far from it.. but as it is an somaliland newspaper ofcourse its always going to be pro somaliland.

but everynewspaper is like that throughout the world.

[General Duke]

to compare jamhouriya newspaper with such trash as allpuntland.com

I think you illustrated the point nicely. One is your clans propoganda another is someone elses.

I think all Somali media is bias.

[SOO MAAL]

haddii aanu nahay reer woqooyigalbeed ceebey naku tahay Jamhuuriya oo noqotay mid meel kaga dhacda qabaa ilka kale ee reer woqooyi, wax uu xitaa dhaniyarada somalia online ka xishoodaan beey jamhuuriya headline ka dhitaa bal akhri jamhuuriya

web page

[wind.talker]

Thanks for the responses. But I'm not sure they're creating the type of discussion I wanted to pursue.

 

The question I asked was 'Do Somali-owned newspapers know the difference between journalism and opinion'? And secondly, are they mere mouthpieces of the various political groupings/factions?

 

QUDHAC -

 

I know you like to defend Somaliland sxb. However, on Jamhuuriya's website, the right side of the site is where they publish opinions. The piece above is found in the middle section, which qualifies as 'news.' Try to look at this objectively for a second.

 

And nowhere in my post did I compare Jamhuuriya to AllPuntland.com. I personally don't like those liars - they're known to fabricate and make-up news items as they see fit. But I tended to have a higher regard for Jamhuuriya, until I saw that above-mentioned piece used as a news item.

[Gabbal]

Do Somali-owned newspapers know the difference between journalism and opinion'? And secondly, are they mere mouthpieces of the various political groupings/factions?

WT sxb that problem exists in all media outlets around the globe. I have seen few newspapers (English or Somali) that I can truly call "objective", and in those "objective" ones, there were some very partisan articles.

 

There isn't any objectivity in the Somali media of today, because a natural set of rules governing it hasn't been implemented. As time goes, so do things evolve. I believe a transformation is taking place and most Somali news sources have started giving attention to other areas out of their "constituency".

 

We cannot blame the journalists only, because we are part of the problem also. The only news Somali people in general deem "worthy" is ku tiri ku teen. Ku tiri ku teen has no journalistic value, and is largely if not completely opinion. In essence, what I'm trying to say is it us, the Somali people, who are forcing Somali journalism to be primarily based on opinion.

 

The Somali news sources are largely read by their "constituency", i.e. Qabiil, and if their news does not match up to what their constituency wants to hear, then where would they get their audience?

 

It is that which forces Somali journalists to report through their opinion. To feed their audience (largely based on whom?) whatever they want to hear, so long as they are visiting the site and spreading its name.

[wind.talker]

Originally posted by HornAfrique:

The Somali news sources are largely read by their "constituency", i.e. Qabiil, and if their news does not match up to what their constituency wants to hear, then where would they get their audience?

You raise an excellent point here homie. I'm not saying objectivity is possible - in fact, I know that's an almost impossible task. We (humans) tend to include snippets of our opinion and our backgrounds when we express ourselves, including through writing.

 

But these Somali news sites are so overtly biased that I'm shocked when some people immediately believe them as if they were the word of God!

 

You're right - we are also part of the problem. Because, unforetunately, some of us immediately believe what our newspapers tell us. Take Mr. QUDHAC (not to pick on you buddy) for instance. Before answering the question, he jumped on the defensive of Jamhuuriya. I guess he's part of the 'constituency' of Jamhuuriya readers. Nothing wrong with that - but don't defend it when its wrong.

[Nationalist]

I bet you love Puntlandpost, Horseednet and SBCNews right in contrast to Allpuntland? I've never catched Allpuntland with fabrications or cheap stories. You just hate that website, because it's Pland conservative.

[Qudhac]

WINDtalker

 

have you ever been on the british shores to take as an example, then if you have have you ever picked up few of their newspapers especially the tabloids then you would know there is no such thing as totaly unbaised media my friend, the only "reason" you bringing up the issue of baised issue is that you hold the opposite view of what jamhouriya wrote down. now lets not beat around the bush and use the ethics of journalism as an excuse. it reported what is widely so ofbvious and that is laascanood population were deeply desapointed and taken back by what took place in garoowe they felt like they been used and dropped

 

jamhouriya is a somaliland based newspaper and its repors tend to reflect that country, and as i have said before it actually sets a good standard for somali newspaper. Atleast its not a mouthpeace for a maniac warlord.

 

 

only god knows what trashy website you read and call "of your own"

[Gediid]

Wind

There's no newspapaper or media outlet that can truely claim to be unbaised.Take the case of the Washington Post,a well respected newspaper but closely aligned with the liberal voice and the views of the Democratic Party while the Washington Times represents the views of the Republican party and the conservative base.

As far as Somali newspaper are concerned I think the same is true,their views normally reflect the views of the area they are based and Jamhuuriya is no different but the advantage that Jamhuuriya has over the other Somali newspapers is that its not a propoganda outlet for the government and one with suffiecient knowlegde of Somali affairs will attest to the fact.

[Abwaan]

I think all Somali media is bias.

Duke_Valantino Ishaad ka tuurtay!

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by Gediid:

Wind

There's no newspapaper or media outlet that can truely claim to be unbaised.Take the case of the Washington Post,a well respected newspaper but closely aligned with the liberal voice and the views of the Democratic Party while the Washington Times represents the views of the Republican party and the conservative base.

As far as Somali newspaper are concerned I think the same is true,their views normally reflect the views of the area they are based and Jamhuuriya is one such case.

The differences between the papers you quote the Somali papers is that the former try to advance a certain ideology while the latter’s motives are anyone’s guess!

[Gediid]

^^^Ngonge

I agree and the ideology that Jamhuuriya is advocating for is one we all know but at least its not a advocating for a warlord or a qabiil.

[wind.talker]

^^

 

Usually Jamhuuriya doesn't advocate a warlord or a qabiil. But if you read the article in question (which was posted as a 'news' item as opposed to 'opinion') you'll find that they're language is blatantly tribalistic in nature and revolves around the notion of separating Sool from Bari/Nugaal/Mudug - which is the stance of the Hargeisa regime. A mouthpiece of UDUB, no? Supporting Riyaale in his on-going battle to win support from Laascaanood.

 

QUDHAC -

 

Of course I'm against the filthy, tribalistic garbage Jamhuuriya has decided to publish on its website. Just as I am against any tribalistic garbage other sites post!

 

BUT, you point about people in Laascaanood being dissappointed - its politics! People were also dissappointed in Bari, Sanaag, Mudug - even Garoowe itself! Jamhuuriya made a good job of making it look as if Reer Laascaanood were the 'sore' losers because their 'man' didn't win. Such childish garbage. Yet, you're ready to swear on everything that its all true.

 

Originally posted by Nationalist:

I bet you love Puntlandpost, Horseednet and SBCNews right in contrast to Allpuntland?

Actually I don't. Except for SBC Online - they tend to have interesting audio interviews. But AllPuntland.com is openly biased. Go back and re-read the articles they wrote during the Jama Ali Jama saga. Such filth!