The Weekly Debate Show, 7 Info, on Private Television BF1, Suspended for Two Weeks

The suspension followed a segment where columnist Kalifara Séré questioned the recency of images showing the Head of State donating blood.

During this show, columnist Kalifara Séré had indicated that the images dated from 2023. Comments deemed "defamatory" by the CSC, according to the television's press release. "Asked whether he maintained his comments following the appearance of the Director General of the National Blood Transfusion Center on the set, the columnist said he had no reason to doubt the latter's comments. Still according to the press release, the columnist also recalled that he had made his mea culpa when he was challenged by the moderator (the presenter of the show).

After this hearing, the columnist was summoned and questioned by the regional service of the judicial police of Ouagadougou, following a complaint from the National Blood Transfusion Center.

According to the television, even if the professionalism of the journalist-presenter was recognized by the regulatory body, the CSC, the latter "still notes" that the program was rebroadcast the same day at 11 p.m. and that the Facebook and YouTube live broadcasts of the show are still available online. "Which constitutes a breach," quotes the media. 

Additionally, the CSC deemed Séré’s comments defamatory. The regulator cited a breach of ethics as the reason for the suspension and ordered the removal of the “offending” parts of the show from BF1’s platforms.