The Office of the Prime Minister has released a statement strongly refuting claims of censorship by one of the country’s daily newspapers.
This is following the mass circulation of the front-page article titled “PM Stops Media Freedom,” stating that this misrepresents an internal circular distributed to all First Secretaries of State Ministers, copying various officials for coordinated information dissemination.
This is according to the Chief of Staff to the Office of the Prime Minister, Andy Hetra.
Mr Hetra said Media, as the fourth estate, plays a vital role in scrutinizing public officials and political institutions for the public interest.
“While freedom of expression is a cherished right, it comes with responsibility.”
“The fourth estate should engage in responsible reporting, free from bias and distortion.”
He added that by encouraging journalists and editors to uphold investigative reporting skills, this emphasizes the importance of avoiding questionable media narratives with distorted facts.
“Journalism’s primary purpose is to provide information in the public interest, ensuring a balanced and truthful representation of events.”