Get the balance right!

Letter to Editor

June 6, 2006

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Dear Editor,

In the past one year, Ethiomedia has, more than any other website, been a vocal critic of the ruling party in Ethiopia. And rightly so! However, there is no doubt that you have been so single sided, overly sensational and in many instances slanted the truth about events in our country. It seems the single most important criterion for any piece to make it on your website is to denigrate the ruling party not whether or not the writing has actually got much to contribute to the kind of debate that would benefit the country.

Yes you would argue the views expressed on your website are purely those of the authors. Nonetheless, you wouldn't deny that by deliberately selecting postings in this misguided way and by trying to outshout opposed voices and voices with differing views, you are sabotaging diversity and tolerance between and among all Ethiopians whose opinions cannot surely be the same.

I ditaste the whole manner of govenment in our country today, worst of all the the patronising way in which the EPRDF runs the show in the state media. However , it's more frustrating to note that so called pro-democracy websites like your own have little, if any hope, to offer in how diverging views can be accommodated.

One hopes you would take notice.

Yonas Kibru