Former Managing Director of STO, Hussain Amr, has issued an apology after facing ire over his remarks accusing journalists of accepting bribes.
During a joint press conference with the main opposition PPM on Sunday, Amr accused journalists of being on the government's payroll , prompting the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) to express their concerns about the remarks
Amr who recently quit the ruling MDP to join the breakaway The Democrats took to Twitter to post a statement, emphasizing the significance of of media freedom as a crucial measure to combat corruption within the government. He further advocated for financial freedom for media outlets to ensure their independence.
His statement highlighted his long-standing belief in the autonomy of the media, free from any governmental influence. Amr stated that media entities should be empowered by legislation, enabling them to carry out their journalistic duties without seeking consent from the government.
Amr got ruffled during the press conference, when journalists pressed on the contrasting political ideologies of the two parties, especially over his party's stance on the PPM led India Out campaign.
He continued to ignore the question but instead labelled the question as engineered by the government to generate a particular headline.
Amr in his statement expressed his intention to advocate for the inclusion of financial independence for the media in his party's election manifesto. This, he believes, will encourage the development of journalism and attract more young individuals to the field.
In response to the remarks made by PNC Vice President Ibrahim Shujau and Amr, MMC and MJA issued statements condemning the baseless allegations that undermine the credibility of journalists. They called for an immediate end to such attempts and went as far as to encourage media outlets to boycott press conferences that make similar unfounded claims.
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