Oan News

Oan National News Network (abbreviated ONNN and stylised OAN NEWS) is an association of media agencies such as newspapers, television and radio broadcasters, and online news audiovisual platforms reporting from the Oan Isles. It is the largest source of news in the Oan Isles and among the largest in Aurora. It is notorious for its controversial and politically divisive content and has often clashed with the Oan government. Founded in 1914 to consolidate the efforts of Oan newspapers reporting on the Great War, it has championed freedom of the press and its defiance of the state has been attributed as a boon to Oan press freedoms, contributing to the high level of media freedom in the country.

Initiatives

Most influential people list

OAN NEWS briefly launched the list of most influential people in the politics of the world on 2 August 2017. This list was compiled by reporters and editors at OAN NEWS and was aimed at showing which public figures had the greatest soft and hard power over the political affairs of the world in different domains. This list came on the heals of the Auroran-Pacific War where many prominent personalities and challenges emerged. The first list identified Queen Naomi Truden II of Kuthernburg, President of Emberwood Coast Nimona Poole, Emperor of Polynesia Oahoanu and other figures as being the most influential.

Controversy

Questions on state terror

OAN NEWS published an article titled "Was the Al Jaheed really responsible for the OIB Bombing and Cafe Net Hacking?" In this article, OAN NEWS argued that the links between the 2017 Cafe Net hacking, the Oan Intelligence Bureau bombing and Al Jaheed were tenuous citing that Muttar Mimahid had been placed under the detention of the Oan military in Latianburg.Thus, it questioned how he could have been released or escaped given that there was no record of his release or escape of Oan military detention records. They further suggested that there was no evidence of the kinds of financial support and communications to Muttar Mimahid or any related pseudonym that would be required to perpetrate such an attack. They did not directly accuse the Oan government of state terror or of enabling foreign terror for political gain, but they did accuse of the government of exaggerating the situation to justify an invasion of the Yor Isles. In this case they used a leaked intelligence report and private investigator evidence to justify their article.

The Oan government sued OAN NEWS for the violation of State Secrets Law at the Tokapa Regional Magistrates Court. OAN NEWS vehemently denied the accusations and refused to withdraw the article (which remains available on its website). The court reprimanded OAN NEWS for its actions, but found no cause to punish them for their journalism and it directed them to be more cautious when handling state documents. In practice, this was a defeat for the Oan government and remained a stain of the Oan government's relations with the media especially OAN NEWS. Moreover, when the Auroran Security Agency's head, Trent Gomez, announced that it was questioning the Oan government's role in the Al Jaheed bombings, the Oan government was stuck in a diplomatic corner which it eventually acquiesced to. From this experience, the Oan government has avoided taking news agencies to court.

Anti-Morstaybishlian sentiments

OAN NEWS has been accused of peddling Pan-Polynesian ideology and anti-Morstaybishlia sentiments in its reporting. It published an article by professor of politics at the University of Tokapa and adjunct professor at Shiro Academy, Agnar Motuara in 2021 in which he stated that the Oan Isles should question its diplomatic and economic linkages on Great Morstaybishlia. While this article was not controversial, it was followed by an article by student activist and member of the National Assembly, Blackfist Iparoha in which they accused Great Morstaybishlia of having an illegitimate claim over the Morstaybishlian Cerenerian Territories and Jusdelva, of never having faced the consequences for the slave trade and the Morsto-Oan War and of exploiting the Oan Isles for political gain. They further accused the Oan royal family and monarchy and government of being complicit in these actions. OAN NEWS was lambasted for encouraging anti-Morstaybishlian rhetoric by Conservatives while others argued it promoted freedom of speech.

OAN NEWS was one again in controversy when it published an article stating that the Oan Intelligence Bureau under the direction of foreign minister Arana Marama submitted a Geopolitical Threat Assessment report which questioned whether Great Morstaybishlia was a viable long-term ally given its allegedly ineffective response to the 2021 Joralesian attacks, 2021 Joralesian riots, and other crises, structural issues in their economic relationship and Great Morstaybishlia's failure to stand with and support the Oan Isles's diplomatic and strategic objectives. Arana Marama, herself issued an article denying the accusations, confirming warm relations with Great Morstaybishlia and stating that the Oan government would not sue OAN NEWS, despite claiming that it was in its right to do so (showing the state's reluctance to punish the media).