By Special Correspondent, Nairobi
JOURNALISM is not a hopeless profession. It is not supposed
to be a weapon in the hands of the WEST against the developing states but a profession,
a responsible profession to serve the people not neo colonialism.
It is now clear why the American President Donald Trump was
up in arms against fake news and irresponsible journalism in the US. It is the
same yardstick that measures professionalism.
Accountability is another word; no wonder in Swansea, Wales
in the United Kingdom, Liam Stacey was jailed for mocking a footballer, Fabrice
Muamba, on twitter, after he collapsed during a match.
The Swansea University biology undergraduate was quickly
tracked down and arrested. He admitted inciting racial comments and the Swansea
Magistrate jailed him for 56 days.
The latest move by the Government of
Tanzania to suspend the Citizen newspaper for seven days (7) for irresponsible
journalism is an attempt to remind the newspaper and the entire media
fraternity in Africa of the ardent quest for responsible journalism.
The newspaper, warned several times in the past, according to
social media reports, is known for lack of balanced reporting, sensationalism
and politicization of development stories in Tanzania, says a Daystar University
lecturer who taught in Tanzania for several years.
“In fact I do not see any vendetta on this action, perhaps
vendetta on the story but the action is applauded for cleaning up the
profession, whether it is the Citizen or other media outlets, the law does not
look at anyone’s face,” comments a media ethics expert based in Dar es Salaam.
Then comes the surprise; against the backdrop of want for
media ethics and responsible and accountable coverage, it is implausible and
indeed unthinkable to see several foreign Ambassadors rush to social media
platforms to criticize the government of Tanzania from exercising its
sovereignty to lawfully reward its licensed organs for their misdeeds. Well
against Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
When the UK government jailed Stacey in Swansea I cannot
remember any African envoy criticizing such a move calculated at enforcing
responsibilities among the citizens in online interactions. We didn’t see the
Ambassadors complain against some of their own European countries where several
journalists are in jail as we speak (Read https://europeanjournalists.org/journalists-in-jail-europe/).
I’m reading the Citizen Editor’s own published story via
online, the major controversy seems not to be on the exchange rate per se, the
problem is on the possibility of expecting misleading facts when interviewing
an interested party, like a member of affected bureau de change in the city and
deliberate publish the story without fairly balancing your story with the
authorities mandated to supervise the sector.
Yes, falling of the currency happens everywhere, but is it
true that Tanzania’s Shilling has fallen and the state of economy is pathetic
as alleged by the Citizen’s sources? The World Bank, Bank of Tanzania (BoT) and
many other national and international financial organizations testify to the
contrary of the fast growing economy of Tanzania.
Tanzania is among the five countries in Africa whose economic
growth is the fastest. The Citizen’s story is seriously misleading its readers
by disputing the IMF, WB with just a survey of an unnamed bureau vendors. This
brings in possibility of unfairness and lack of objectivity.
I have done a month survey of the content of the Citizen by
tracing its online publications; it is true that the Citizen has been reporting
negative stories about Tanzania. Publishing a story that smears the nation by
using bogus sources hence deliberately failing to balance the story is the
highest degree of irresponsible journalism and abuse of the profession.
One of the pillars of journalism is reporting the truth. The truth would mean nothing if
the parties involved in the story were not contacted to balance the story. Truth, balance and objectivity make a story fair.
This means fairness a virtue in any decent journalism. How
could a newspaper conduct a survey by selecting a dubious sample and commit a
grievous mistake of failing to consult the authorities which it accuses? This
is irresponsible and unethical journalism.
While it is clear that those encouraging irresponsible
journalism in the country were revealed, the Ambassadors who vividly met at a
dinner or lunch table to plan on helping the suspended newspaper should remind
the newspaper of their duty to practice ethical journalism instead.
In the interest of the profession and business, the Citizen would
be prudent to quietly capitalize on the seven days to rethink of their position
in refining their practices to embrace ethical and responsible journalism or
decide otherwise. It is prudence.
Ends.
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