The National Press Council (CNP), the statutory press regulatory body, on September 17, 2012 lifted suspension sanctions it had imposed on six privately-owned pro-Gbagbo newspapers, for jointly republishing an article originally published by Notre Voie, also a pro-Gbagbo daily. The regulatory body on September 7, 2012 rebuked and suspended Notre Voie for six publications for publishing photographs of personalities of the fallen regime with the caption “Minister” which suggests the “existence of two governments in Cote d’Ivoire.”
Accordingly, the CNP on September 12 decided to suspend Le Nouveau Courrier, LG Info, Le Temps, Aujourd’hui and Le Quotidien d’Abidjan for six publications each while L’Alternative was suspended for 12 publications, for knowingly reproducing the article, thus reinforcing the notion of “existence of two governments in Cote d’Ivoire. The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the regulatory body’s decision to lift the suspensions follows the newspapers’ plans to lodge a complaint against the CNP at the country’s Supreme Court.
According to the correspondent after several mediation efforts by the Newspaper Publishers’ Association of Cote d’Ivoire (GEPCI) and the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CDVR), the CNP finally decided to suspend the measure taken against the newspapers.
For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70
Fax: 233-302-22 10 84
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.mediafound.org
