User:Crtew/Somali radio journalism

Somali Radio Journalism ...

Introduction
Radio journalism took a turn of evolution in Somalia, many stations sprouted up across it's environment, and gave rise to free speech amongst it's people. This was a double-edged sword, because as the people gained a form of speech, the Somali civil war also allowed a lot of war propaganda to slip through the cracks, making it harder for reporters to tell the truth without endangering their jobs or lives. The hardships of the journalists involved is ongoing, due to the fact that the war has not yet ended, and there are casualties on all perspectives of the war, as well as the aspect of journalism as a whole in Somalia.

Shabelle Media Network
The largest of the Somalia media networks, Shabelle started in 2002 and rose to be a somewhat powerhouse of Somali radio. Originating out of Mogadishu, the Network lost five journalists before 2010, and is the target of many Islamic military groups, due to the fact that it is one of the few independent radio stations of it's area. The biggest threat to the Network is the military power of the group Al-Shabaab, who has spread propaganda through at least 10 radio stations around Mogadishu, and has raided and shut down two networks inside Mogadishu (Specifically HornAfrik and GBC).

Losses
The dangers of being a media journalist in Somalia is obvious, with at least 29 deaths since 2007, assassinations have consistently been the fatalities of the many independent journalists around the area of Mogadishu. One of the most tragic losses was the assassination of the Shabelle media director Hassan Osman Abdi, whom was shot multiple times in the head by two masked men with handguns right outside his home. The Committee to Protect Journalists abhors this assassination, as well as the casualties of fighting, Radio Simba logistics manager Farrah Hassan Sahal, IQK reporter Mohamud Mohamed Yusuf , and many others.

Al-Shabaab
The most frequent assassins of the independent journalists is the terrorist cell Al-Shabaab, which is originally a Youth Islamic military group produced by the Islamic Courts Union, formerly known as ICU. The terrorist group was then turned over to Al Qaeda, whom forcefully took over recently, making them an official terrorist cell in February 2012. The objective of Al-Shabaab has seemed to be something along the lines of a jihad, but they have specialized in silencing media and assassinations of the Mogadishu area.

Relevance
On a Global level, the fighting in Somalia is not being reflected upon widely, but the control of radio in Somalia is detrimental to insurgents all the way in Iran, Osama Bin-Laden even attempted to make an Islamic state out of the Mogadishu area, and Al Qaeda (through the use of Al-Shabaab) is attempting to spread Islamic propaganda to seek control over the voice of Somalia, and the Independent Journalists seem to be the only ones voicing an opinion against them in the area. Of many possible outcomes, terrorism could either spread or stop in Africa depending on the occurrences in Somalia. The danger of the lives of the everyday Somali journalists is ongoing.