Can the real journalists please stand up!
It cannot be that, suddenly we allow plumbers to become writers!
While in high school in the late 90’s, Mrs Venter, my History subject teacher was amazed at my use of words, my photographic memory and my way of retelling stories. When she wanted me to write an essay of 500-600 hundred words, I would write at least a thousand. This fascinated her and went so far as her encouraging, in fact telling me, to choose Journalism as a career.
“You will be a good writer,” she said.
The journalism field has become infiltrated by a huge number of celebrities ‘wanna be’, those who want to be seen, those who are in it for the functions, and those who are in it for the fame. Lately they are in it for the numbers, who reaches certain numbers and at what time?
Two journalists’ opinion articles in different publications caught my eye this week, one in a soccer publication and another in a national (news)paper. One was talking about real journalists getting their act together as the real media is under severe pressure because everyone is now a journalist, everyone can now write just to chase numbers on social media, without checking their facts, without crossing the T’s and I’s and without the basics of journalism, the 5W’s and H. Journalism, which happens to be one of the most important and dangerous jobs around is truly in trouble if we are to allow every Tom, Dick and Harriet (not Harry) to come into it and do as they please, thus damaging the good reputations of those that are dedicated and hardworking.
It cannot be that, suddenly we allow plumbers to become writers!
That cannot be, because an accountant would never, at will, give us their books to balance.
The other journalist talked about recognizing this beautiful ancient trade and giving praise where it is due and when it is due, when it is due being the emphasis. Allowing people that know nothing about journalism to dictate terms in our field is a disrespect at the highest level.
I recently attended a breakfast meeting with councillors from a local municipality and some key words from our conversations come to mind, words such as passion, accountability, credibility, experience, qualifications, and professionalism. I guess with these (words) you can draw a whole lot of conclusions in line with my arguments. Journalism is not just a job for some of us, we are in it for the love of it, we are in it because we were born for it, we are in it for those who cannot raise their voices, and I guess we are in it ‘until death do us part’.
Unlike the journalists of today who are chasing numbers and want to be seen to be working for big and well-known publications, to this day, approximately 15 years into my chosen field of work, I still am not sure if I am as good as “Ma Venter” said I would be.
I guess we will never know, but one thing for sure, I swear that wherever she is, she is proud of my work.
Now can the real journalists please stand up!
Lerato wa ha Serero…
