-(« SPOTLIGHT ON THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS FREEDOM DAY ») !(« EDITORIAL » FROM « THE CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR »)( YVES T BOUAZO)
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE OUGHT TO INSTILL IN THE MINDS OF OUR POTENTIAL READERS WORLDWIDE THE FACT THAT THE « PRESS » IS AN INSTITUTION WHICH INCULCATES A PARTICULAR FORM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE MINDS OF READERS.IN CONSEQUENCE CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF REFLECTION OF WHICH ONLY MAN IS CAPABLE:FURTHERMORE, IT IS THE MANNER BY WHICH A SOCIETY IN ITS DEVELOPMENT EXPLAINS THE WORLD AND VIEWS ITSELF.IN THE SAME WAY,CONSCIOUSNESS,THEREFORE,IS THE SUMMATION OF THE IDEAS,CONCEPTS,AND THE THEORIES PREVAILING IN A GIVEN SOCIETY AT A DEFINITE HISTORICAL STAGE,ALL OF WHICH JUSTIFY AND REINFORCE THE WAY THIS PARTICULAR SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED TO MAINTAIN ITSELF.IT FOLLOWS, FOR INSTANCE,THAT UNDER A SYSTEM DESIGNED OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP,THE PREVAILING CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS NURTURED BY THE « MASS MEDIA » IS ONE WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE EXISTING ORDER:THAT CONSICUOUS EXAMPLE CAN BE POINTED IN SOME AFRICAN NATIONSSUCH AS:(« ERYTHREA », « CONGO RDC », »SOUTH SUDAN », « CONGO BRAZZAVILLE », »IVORY COAST » AND MANY MORE) WHERE THE MAIN TARGET OF OLIGARCHIC SYSYEMS REMAIN PERMENTLY THE INDEPENDENT OBJECTIVE COMMITTED JOURNALISTS!THE CLOSURE OF CRITICAL PUBLICATIONS THE ARRET AND MURDERS OF JOURNALISTS IN IVORY COAS IN 2012 AND THE FILING OF SUITS AGAINS THEM RECENTLY KEEPS ON PLACING « FREEDOM OF PRESS » IN JEOPARDY RIGHT NOW!IT GAVE UNFORTUNATELY DEFINITELY THE CONSPICUOUS ILLUSION OF FREEDOM AND TRUE DEMOCRACY IN A COUNTRY FORMERLY LABELLED AS A HUG OF POLITICAL STABILITY IN THE WHOLE OF (AFRICA).
-(FOCUS ON THE ECONOMIC AND POLIC ENVIRONMENT):
UNFORTUNATELY THE PRESS ALWAYS TAKES ON THE FORM AND COLORATION OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURES WITHIN WHICH IT OPERATES:IT IS STRONGLY AFFECTED AND LIMITED BY THE NATURE OF ITS ENVIRONMENT.IN THE SAME TREND, MEDIA PRACTITIONERS ARE BASICALLY PRODUCTS OF THEIR SOCIETY;AS A RESULT, THEIR SOCIAL EXPERIENCES AFFECT WITHOUT DOUBT THE WAY THEY DO THEIR JOB.DOWN THE LINE,ECONOMIC POLITCAL AND SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS DETERMINE COMMUNICATION PATTERNS AND USE IN AN INSTITUTION SUCH AS THE PRESS , WELL KNOWN AS AN UNPRECEDENTED POWER EVER SINCE!
-(THE PRESS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGE):
ALL THIS, HWERVER, DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PRESS CANN NOT BE AN EFFICIENT INSTRUMENT OF CHANGE.BUT DURING PERIODS OF CONFLICTS AND TURMOIL,IT CAN EVEN SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR REVOLUTIONARY TRANSFORMATION:MY PEN CAN BE A A WEAPON? SOMEONE MADE IT CLEAR!
(FROM « THE CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR »)( YVES T BOUAZO)