Kunoma yikuphi, esikhathini sakamuva
Umhlangano we-LAAMN lapho ngokusobala wawumnandi futhi ukhiqiza
ingxoxo yeCongress ezayo nokuthi ingaba kakhulu kanjani
ngempumelelo. Ukuqala, i-LAAMN iphakamisa amaphaneli emsebenzini
ukunyakaza, imvelo, ukucwasa kanye namasiko amaningi, intsha,
amakhampasi, njll. Esimweni ngasinye la maphaneli azokhuluma
ukuthi enye imidiya ibikhuluma kanjani ezindaweni ze
ukukhathazeka, futhi ikakhulukazi lokho ukwehluleka okube khona
nokuthi singenza kanjani kangcono esikhathini esizayo. Into ebalulekile
ukuhlola, singase sengeze, ukuthi kukhona yini mayelana
Isakhiwo semidiya ehlukile kanye nenqubo, ama-ajenda, kanye
ukwakheka, okusibangela ukuthi senze umsebenzi ongcono noma omubi kulezi
izindawo okugxilwe kuzo.
Okulandelayo, i-LAAMN iphakamisa lokho
kufanele kube namaphaneli "agxile ohlotsheni lwe
enye imidiya esiyidalayo nokuthi iba kanjani
kwenziwe." Kubukeka sengathi babecabanga ukukhuluma bobabili
ekhona kanye nenye imidiya engaba khona ukuthuthukisa lokho esikwenzayo
babe. Banikeza njengezibonelo ezigxile kumsakazo omncane kanye nawo
ukusungulwa kanye nokwanda, ukudala "kuzwelonke
ukunyakaza komsakazo okuqhubekayo," kudala "kazwelonke
inethiwekhi yemidiya yokuphrinta," ukudala "ku-inthanethi
ezinye izinsiza zocingo," kanye "nokudala
amavidiyo kanye nezinketho ze-TV eziqhubekayo." Siyavuma ukuthi lezi
kungaba ukugxila okuwusizo kakhulu. Sicabanga futhi, nokho, ukuthi
bekungeke kube buhlungu ukuphenya umbuzo wokuthi yini eyenza
isikhungo semidiya noma enye iphrojekthi? Yini esiyidingayo
ukuzuza, ngokwesakhiwo kanye nokuqukethwe kwethu, ukufanelekela lokhu
ilebula futhi igcwalise isithembiso sayo?
Bese, ngamagama amakhulu agqamile
imemorandamu yabo ithi "Sidinga iphaneli ebizwa
'ukwakha umfelandawonye kazwelonke wezinye izindlela
imidiya' enezikhulumi ezivela kumadlelandawonye abezindaba namanethiwekhi
ezungeze i-US Leli qembu lizobhala isiphakamiso se
ukwakhiwa komfelandawonye kazwelonke futhi wethule phambi kwe
ukuvala iseshini yomhlangano weMedia and Democracy Congress
ukuze kuxoxwe futhi kuvotelwe. Abamele idolobha ngalinye babezokwenza
basebenze ekomitini elilawulayo likazwelonke elizoqhubeka
thuthukisa ukwakheka, izinjongo, izinjongo, njll., zalokhu okusha
umfelandawonye.โ U-LAAMN ucabanga lapha, kubonakala sengathi, kukhona okuthile
njengalokho esakuphakamisa ngonyaka odlule (Federation for
I-Alternative Media Activists kanye Nabasekeli) futhi, kunjalo,
nathi singakulangazelela kakhulu ukubona uKhongolose uhamba ngendlela enjalo
isiqondiso.
I-LAAMN ibeka indawo yayo emaphakathiโฆ "Ekugcineni,
amalungu amaningana e-LAAMN ahambele iMedia yokuqala kanye
I-Democracy Congress eSan Francisco ngo-1996 futhi ikhuthaza ukuthi
IKomidi Lokuxhumanisa leCongress ezayo ukubeka okwengeziwe
ukugcizelela kumaphaneli nezithangami zokucobelelana ngolwazi ezigxile ekulweleni abezindaba,
yiziphi abenzi bemidiya abazenzayo njengamanje nokuthi yini esingayenza
ndawonye esikhathini esizayo, futhi kuncane ukugcizelela ekuvuseleleni kabusha indlela
kubi i-oligarchy yemidiya. Sesiyakwazi lokho! Sidinga uku
dala enye inhlangano yabezindaba lapho umphakathi uzothanda khona
qala ukubheka kithi ukuze uthole izindaba nolwazi lwabo."
Sivumelana ne-caveat eyodwa.
Ukukhononda ukuthi imidiya evamile ayikufaki kanjani lokhu noma
leso sihloko engqungqutheleni yezinye izishoshovu zemidiya
ayihambisi lutho olusha. Kodwa kukhona okumele kukhulunywe ngakho
ukuqonda ukuthi kungani imidiya evamile ilinganiselwe kangangokuthi thina
ungaphindi noma yiziphi izimbangela emizamweni yethu. Ngakho
iphaneli eyodwa kumidiya evamile eyenza umqondo kithi
kungaba "Kungani imidiya evamile ihlanekezela
iqiniso" ekhuluma ngezindaba ezinjengobunikazi bayo
ubudlelwano, isakhiwo esisekwe esigabeni sebhizinisi, ubulili kanye nobuhlanga
izimonyo, kanye nezindlela zokuxhasa ngemali, ikakhulukazi ukukhangisa,
ngeso lokuqonda ukuthi zonke lezi zithinta kanjani ezejwayelekile
okuqukethwe kwabezindaba kanye ne-ajenda.
Ekugcineni, kukhona iphaneli
okungenzeka ukuthi akukho ngokuphawulekayo emlayezweni we-LAAMN thina
yamukelwe. Njengamanje cishe yonke inkinga yomphumela
abanye abezindaba abantu - uxhaso, ubudlelwano
izethameli, ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinye izikhungo zabezindaba,
okuqukethwe/umkhiqizo, isakhiwo sangaphakathi kanye nokuthatha izinqumo,
ubudlelwano namandla ezomnotho nezepolitiki ajwayelekile
- iphikisana kwenye inkinga yemidiya ehluphayo
ngokungangabazeki isikhungo sethu esikhulu kunazo zonke, i-Pacifica Radio.
Okungcono iCongress of Media and Democracy ingazama
sikhulume, sicabanga, ukuletha lesi simo esifiselekayo
isiphetho, mhlawumbe kanye nomlamuli/umphenyi wangaphandle
imigqa yekhomishana esiyihlongoze ezinyangeni ezithile ezedlule. Kafushane kwalokho,
kodwa-ke, kungaba yinqaba ngempela uma iCongress isebenza
ngeNtando yeningi kwabezindaba kanye namanye amathemba abezindaba
ayitholanga indlela eyakhayo neyanele yokubhekana nayo
izinkinga manje ezikhungethe iPacifica.