We express our deep concern regarding the dissemination of fake news and rumour mongering that we have observed in recent reports from Forbidden Stories. It has become their favorite exercise when it regards an emerging country in Africa such as Rwanda while they close a blind eye on the long list of failed states across the continent and Middle East.
This is the usual western paternalist and arrogant attitude when it comes to Africa to justify their belief that Africa will never develop on her own, unless it’s colonized again.
As an independent media, privately owned and based in Africa, we value the role that the media plays in informing the public and upholding the principles of journalistic integrity.
However, the spread of misinformation from Forbidden Stories not only undermines public trust but also has bad consequences on our societies.
The fact that most of the journalists mentioned in this recent post work for or are correspondents of renowned media such as Der Spiegel, Le Soir, Le Monde or The Guardian does not mean they hold the truth monopoly. Some of them are politically motivated or even corrupted.
Their source of information is mainly from frustrated people or asylum seekers for a “better life” in the West. Let’s mention here the David Himbara, Theogene Rudasingwa and others who ran away from their home country after embezzling funds from the government.
The so-called sensational reports like the “Forbidden Stories” one, are indeed the same recycled misinformation for years while expecting different results meaning a strong negative reaction from the International community. Doing things over and over again and expecting different results is what Albert Einstein called insanity.
We urge those colleagues who worked on the last report to adhere to the highest standards of fact-checking and verification before publishing fake news. Rwanda has embraced an enviable socio-economic development path. Nothing will derail the children of Rwanda from building their own bright future. What you name “Rwanda paradox” is just another distraction that you are the only one to believe in.
We strongly encourage our western colleagues to review the reports in question, issue corrections where necessary, and recommit to rigorous journalistic practices. Transparency about mistakes and swift corrective actions not only restore public trust but also reinforce credibility. If you care about it.
RADIOTV10 Management
