Taiz.. Journalists boycott local authority's press conference in protest against its failed policies

Journalists and correspondents of news channels and websites in Taiz Governorate announced their refusal to attend the press conference called for by the local authority, in protest against what they described as the failed and misleading policies followed by the authorities in managing the governorate’s affairs.

In a statement issued by the journalists today, they explained that the boycott decision came as a result of the local authority’s attempts to forcefully direct the media discourse towards “partnership,” which they considered a violation of the media’s role as an independent oversight authority concerned with revealing the facts and conveying citizens’ demands accurately and transparently.

The statement pointed out that the tragic reality in Taiz makes any official justifications unnecessary, considering the press conference an attempt to give false legitimacy to an authority that has lost its credibility, especially in light of the spread of epidemics and high death rates, in addition to its failure to provide basic services to citizens.

The journalists stressed that they will not be part of any process of misleading public opinion, and will not allow themselves to be used as tools to justify failures or pass suspicious agendas. They also called on their media colleagues to adhere to professional and ethical principles, and not to participate in an event they described as misleading.

The statement concluded by pointing out what they considered a “linguistic lapse” in the invitation speech, where the local authority described journalists as “subordinates,” which they considered an expression of a condescending view that treats the media as a tool for polishing the image, rather than as an independent body concerned with holding the authorities accountable and revealing the facts.