This essay entitled “Response to Mr. Felix Zogo and Radio France Internationale (RFI)” was inspired by an interview (appended below) that Mr. Felix Zogo, Adviser at the Ministry of Communication of La Republique du Cameroun accorded to Mr. Christophe Boisbouvier of RFI on October 17th, 2003.
A good news organization and a good reporter takes time to gather independent information on a story or issue before embarking on interviews with players in the story. They research the facts and the views from both sides and demonstrate this understanding when conducting any interview with any of the players. Only by doing this is the listening public's interest served. Anything less makes a news organization and its reporter a mouthpiece for the propaganda of one side, and risk becoming one of those who Clare Short, the former British International Development Secretary says team up with the French, "to create genocides in Africa." Radio France Internationale aired the interview that follows below on October 17th, 2003 at 0730 GMT. The interviewee was Mr. Felix Zogo, adviser to La Republique du Cameroun's Communications Minister, and the correspondent was Christophe Boisbouvier. The interview demonstrates what a good news organization should not do, and exposes the correspondent as one who no journalism student should aspire to emulate. Mr. Zogo took good advantage of both to put out what no intelligent adviser should tell the public or feed his boss with, knowing that the facts of the story are a matter of public record and not just another King or Queen on the wall of the house of cards called La Republique du Cameroun.
