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Tunisia: journalists accuse National TV of deviating from editorial process

September 13, 2022 at 10:11 am

Tunisian journalists hold signs during a protest demanding press freedom outside the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) in Tunis [FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images]

The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) has accused the National Television Corporation of a “serious deviation” from the principle of separating management from the editing process.

The union accused the station yesterday of “taking advantage of this public institution for propaganda purposes in favour of the current regime.” It also complained about the “exclusion” of journalists and activists who refuse to follow such an editorial line. “This is a clear violation of the independence of National Television.”

According to the journalists’ union, the government’s silence in this matter indicates its complicity and intention to convert the public media institution into a propaganda mouthpiece for the president and his regime by emptying it of the content that reflects the aspirations of the people. “This is a serious situation, characterised by ambiguity in vision and the taking of individual decisions, which have created tension within the institution.”

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