! Amazigh press first affected by the National Council of the press
A contribution to the discussion created by the submission, by the Minister of Culture, Communication and Youth, Mohamed El Mahdi Bensaïd, of draft law No. 15.23 related to the creation of a temporary committee to manage the affairs of the press and publishing sector, and its approval by the Government Council, for its day, Thursday, April 13, which aims to develop a new vision for a solution Problems faced by the press and publishing sector, after it was not possible to hold elections to renew the office of the National Press Council, whose term expired more than six months ago.
Away from the discussion and controversy surrounding the legality of the council, and the legitimacy of the request of an interim committee to run it, let us make a statement on this subject from our point of view as journalists from within the Amazigh World newspaper.
The National Council for Press and Publishing, since its establishment, has shown clear discrimination against the Amazigh press, against the Amazigh language, and against the management of our Amazigh World newspaper and its press staff, the only newspaper that is still navigating alone in this sea full of constraints, challenges and obstacles, after the suspension, unfortunately, of dozens of titles that Founded before and after.
It started with:
First: We were prevented every year from obtaining the press card, which we have had for more than 18 years before the founding of the council, so we had to plead and present documents from the Social Security Fund and other documents that confirm our capacity as directors of the newspaper as publishers. It has two directors for the company that publishes it, Edsion Amazigh, of a solidarity nature, SNC.
Second: We were denied a mobility card on the pretext of exceeding the applicable quota, and we only got it this year (two cards).
Third: Excluding our newspaper “The Amazigh World” and the website “Amdhal Amazigh” from the advertising campaign that was given to all Arabic and French paper and electronic media platforms.
Fourth: Excluding the Amazigh language from the advertising campaign that is based on sensitizing readers by reading newspapers and newspapers, which were published in Arabic and French without the official language of the Amazigh country.
Fifth: depriving our press staff, even of the journalists' jacket, which was distributed to most of the staff of the media outlets, except for the staff of our newspaper.
Sixth: Although Article 4 of the law establishing the National Press Council speaks
of its composition of twenty-one (21) members distributed as follows: seven (7) members elected by professional journalists from among them, taking into account the representation of the various types of journalism and media; Seven (7) members elected by the newspaper publishers. However, the Amazigh media and press were not represented either as journalists or as publishers.
So, based on what I have presented above and based on what some fellow journalists have dealt with about their criticism of the committee to be appointed and the extent of its legitimacy, I suggest that this council be deleted and the management of journalists’ affairs be returned to the Ministry of Culture, Communication and Youth (Communication Sector) as a neutral guardian sector that brings together the press and media bodies without ideology Narrow partisanship, as is the case with regard to the Council, which is dominated by two unrelated parties, the Socialist Union Party in the person of Younes Mujahid, and the Istiqlal Party in the person of Abdullah Al-Baqali, who alternate without any other energies of young men and women, sometimes on behalf of the Council, and at other times on behalf of the Syndicate. As if the press and media sector is sterile and does not give birth to others.
Rashid Rakha
Journalist and publisher of the Amazigh World newspaper
Source: websites