Editor
The media plays a significant and pivotal role in addressing problems facing the community. Its primary objective is to alert the public about the danger that they may encounter, entertain and even give them necessary informative news either in their proximity or external.
According to my small-minded knowledge, this is of utmost importance for a well-trained journalist.
However, I write this with a burden of melancholy because of the behaviour of some journalists during President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on February 12. I wonder whether most of the current crop of journalists are carefully balanced, accurate, driven and without being subjective. I think the duty of the media will always remain to follow stories, do thorough research prior to reporting any story and then report objectively.
Indeed, journalists could not be separated from the general public and, like all members of the community; they all have a right to vote for their preferred political parties. However, their prerequisite is to be accountable to the ordinary people. Hence, they have to respect journalistic ethical rules and guidelines. In a nutshell, I was utterly horrified at their ‘subjective behaviour’ during SONA.
Their reactive behaviour on the absence of signal during the day left much to be desired for. Truly speaking, journalists were within their right to protest against what they perceive as media censorship, but they should have done it outside the parliamentary chambers in order to maintain the parliamentary decorum and dignity. Personally, I do condemn the use of devices that scramble or block communication or cell phones, if only there were any in parliament.
But for journalists to chant ‘bring back the signal’ slogan was totally naïve. Such chanting obviously pilloried them as aligned to a ‘certain political party’. Such bias behaviour was a horrible disgrace to young, aspiring journalists. By doing so, journalists were using their own discretion per se and that can be suicidal.
I personally abhor to be an individual or political party lackey, but judging from the SONA events, I felt obliged to take note when President Zuma said: “It’s good to have a democracy and freedom of speech because democracy sometimes exposes people sufficiently about who they really are.” Maybe, I am supposed to stick neck out for journalism territory but my conscience never allows such subjectivity.
It was obvious that some journalists are working for chaos. Chaos and anarchy are the forest for mischief. However, who am I to cast the first stone to someone? Hence, as a reader, you be the judge.
Philani Hadebe
