Suspension of 4 Algerian Channels for 48 Hours for Violating Professional Ethics in Covering the Bus Accident Disaster

Algerian authorities decided to suspend the broadcasting of four television channels for 48 hours due to committing "serious professional violations" during their coverage of the passenger bus accident in the El Harrach valley in Algiers, which resulted in the death of 18 people.

The decision included the channels "El Bilad", "El Watania", "El Hayat", and "Echorouk News", as their satellite and live digital broadcasts were suspended, and they were prohibited from publishing any new content on their digital platforms, in addition to the immediate withdrawal of the violating content.

The television authority clarified that the involved channels invaded emergency and intensive care facilities to interrogate the injured in critical conditions, and they pursued the victims' families in moments of shock, broadcasting shocking scenes and sounds without any prior warning to the public. These media outlets were also accused of seeking to increase interaction rates on digital platforms at the expense of the victims' dignity and respect for their privacy.

For its part, the National Organization of Algerian Journalists condemned these practices, expressing its "categorical rejection of any violation of professional ethics", especially from national media outlets. It emphasized that "the priority in such incidents should be the efforts of medical teams to save lives", expressing its discontent with the exploitation of human suffering for media gains.

The media coverage of the incident sparked widespread outrage, as public opinion criticized some channels for publishing shocking content, such as images of the victims and footage from inside the intensive care rooms, in an unethical attempt to increase viewership. The decision to suspend broadcasting came as a swift disciplinary measure to halt these violations and restore ethical standards to media work.