The Post Newspaper explains leaked front page as NCC summons publisher

The publisher of the bi-weekly English-language newspaper, The Post, was expected to appear before the National Communication Council at 11 a.m. today to explain the lead story of the newspaper’s Monday edition, which reported that 66 percent of Cameroonians want a military takeover.

On Monday evening, The Post’s management issued a release stating that it had withdrawn the leaked front page of Issue No. 02368 of Monday, September 11, 2023.

It claimed that the editorial team had not finished editing the front page before it leaked. The management also circulated what was meant to be the authentic front page of The Post’s Monday, September 11, edition. The story concerning the coup d’etat was absent from the new front page.

The lead story on the leaked front page read: “66 percent of Cameroonians want a military coup—Afrobarometer survey”. This front page went viral on social media platforms on Sunday evening and Monday morning, before the paper released another front page for the same edition. The lead story of the new edition was changed to, “Lockdown imposes reign of terror”.

The management of The Post wrote, “It was yet to receive approval from the editorial team.”

It added that some staff of the newspaper leaked the front page while work was still going on.

“In producing our various issues, we always polish each several times. What we stand by, and should be held for, is the final output, our printed version,” The Post wrote.

NCC Summons Publisher

After the leaked front page had gone viral, the National Communication Council issued a release dated Monday, September 11, in which it chastised the bi-weekly newspaper for publishing information that undermines national interest.

Citing laws regulating journalism in Cameroon, the NCC said The Post violated guidelines for objective and responsible journalism.

The NCC communique signed by its President, Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu, asked The Post’s Director of Publication (also Publisher) to appear at the NCC’s headquarters in Yaounde at 11 am on Tuesday, September 12.

The NCC said the Publisher is being summoned to present the arguments before the Council concerning the leaked front page.

It is speculated that the NCC will heap sanctions on the media organ.

In a communiqué read on national radio on Monday, the NCC said it has undertaken to “mete out adequate sanctions pursuant to the law in force”.

Is There An Afrobarometer Survey?

After encountering the leaked front page of The Post, MMI sought to find out if the Afrobarometer survey that was used to justify the story of a coup d’etat in Cameroon existed.

On the website of Afrobarometer, we found no statistics about a survey on a military coup in Cameroon.

The website has published findings on topics such as climate change, and environmental protection, to name just a few. Afrobarometer has also published surveys on other African Countries.

In its release, the management of The Post Newspaper said it regrets all “unintended damage and inconveniences” the leaked front page might have caused the nation.