RaajjeTV's work in bringing the truth 'certainly strengthened our young democracy' - president

RaajjeTV’s work in providing the truth to the people played a part in strengthening the country’s young democracy, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The president said this in a tweet sent out to mark the station’s 10th anniversary, on Tuesday.

Noting the important of “truth and facts” for the functioning of democracies, Solih said that the station’s work in this regard “has certainly strengthened [Maldives’] young democracy”.

The incumbent administration has kept a close relationship with the media unlike the previous one, where journalists and media personnel were subject to various forms of harassment and threats.

RaajjeTV was at the receiving end of a majority of these. In October 2013, the station’s primary studio and corresponding control room were broken into, doused in petrol, and set ablaze.

One of President Solih’s first tasks since assuming office in November 2018 was repealing the Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act introduced in 2016 for the purpose of targeting journalists and media institutions.

In his address at the Maldives Media Council’s journalism awards held earlier this month, the president expressed pride that his administration has “successfully eliminated that toxic culture from the Maldives journalism profession”.

Following his 2018 election victory, President Solih visited RaajjeTV and some other media institutions.