'The pen must be mightier than the advert' – CJ

Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday May 14, 2025 06:00

Ketlogetswe explained that there has been a gap in that in pursuit of financial means, it meant that whilst the pen is supposed to be mightier than the advert, it has been the other way around compromising on the quality of journalism.

'There is an adage that 'the pen is mightier than the sword'. This adage symbolises the need for courage in the work of a journalist. The pursuit of financial meant that whilst the pen is supposed to be mightier than the advert, the advert has been mightier than the pen holder,' he said.

Speaking at World Press Freedom Day dinner on Friday, the CJ spoke about the media as an oversight body that must possess courage, independence, and intergrity.

The CJ emphasised that the theme of World Press Freedom Day speaks of bravery meaning that the job of a journalist requires courage to, amongst others, speak truth to power, investigate, and unearth corruption.

'That is why courage is a virtue for a journalist, without which we may, at best, in the absence of courage we may call you Reporters, and not journalist. I therefore call upon you to pause and reflect, particularly on your chosen role in holding those with their hands on the levers of power in the last almost six decades of our democracy,' he said.

He pointed out that for the media to be powerful it needs to be independent. He acknowledged that there are impediments to the attainment of independence, the first and obvious impediment to independence being lack of financial muscle which impacts on journalist's ability to effectively carry out your mandate.

'The economic realities of Botswana are such that government is in possession of more resources than the private sector, and the private press needs government business through advertising and other forms of investment by government in the private media. History will attest that when investigative journalism unearthed some inconvenient truths about those that are in government the response was to stop government advertisement in certain private media houses. The result has been a slow, but noticeable death in investigative journalism,' the CJ said.

Ketlogetswe also said the consequence of the death of investigative journalism was, unfortunately, governance without accountability in that to regain access to government advertisement and the financial spoils that come with it, the private media became more private and less independent.

He mentioned that the result was in self-regulation staying that even before formalised regulation. The might of the advert against the pen led to self-regulation which impacted on free press, he said.

On the dilemma faced by journalists in their line of duty, Justice Ketlogetswe bemoaned that news is a perishable commodity which requires expedition in its dissemination and this often places journalists in a space where they have to do a precarious balance between meeting deadlines and protecting the rights of those affected by their stories.

He said this is where journalists come into conflict with the law and those that they wish to inform, leading to criminal defamation, violation of laws regulating state secrets, and the personality rights of those concerned.

'This brings us to the fine line between the journalists' right to inform and their protection against SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Law Suits Against Public Participation), which are lawsuits filed to intimidate and silence critics often targeting journalists, activists, and watchdogs involved in investigative journalism,' he stated.

The CJ further pointed that mainstream media in the 'Brave New World' is confronted by a new player who answers to no editorial authority, no regulation, no accountability, no responsibility, but who has free access to information, in the form of social media influencers and that in the space the dubious distinction of unbridled, unaccountable, and pernicious journalism belonged to none other that Museveni who at some point seemed to enjoy acclaim from the unsuspecting public as a reliable news breaker.

He concluded by acknowledging the current engagement with government to come up with a more progressive legislation that will truly promote access to information and urging that in doing so with the knowledge that nothing will come in a silver platter.

'You will have to fight for what is rightfully yours. As you engage with government for media-friendly laws, you must also be looking at demanding that this anniversary must be part of the public calendar as a public holiday that you can use to educate and sensitise the public on your role as the press. The digital world of today and the advent of social media mean that you have a more onerous task to wean the public from consuming bad news on social platforms and win it to consume your more sellable product in the form of responsible journalism.

For Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Ketlhalefile Motshegwa's part, he explained that as the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, they acknowledge the media as a fundamental component of democracy, transparency, and public accountability.

'At commencement let me pay befitting homage to the media in Botswana for its role in nurturing democracy, public education, and contribution to shaping national dialogue. I must indicate that free, objective, skilled media is an essential component of any democratic society. It provides the information which the polity require to make responsible, informed decisions. Furthermore, it performs the role of checks and balances,' he said.

He stated in attaining power they inherited set up of state media controlled by the Office of President, where government controlled the content making less coverage of opposition and dissenting voices.

Motshegwa said this resulted in abuse of state media for self-preservation by the then government, as citizens were given one side of the story, subjecting Batswana to missing real stories concerning their lives.

'In going forward , we must be a democratic Country that caters views and opinions of various sections of society in fulfillment of freedom of speech and freedom of concise. We make this commitment as the government. Media should be seen as an enabler of democracy. It is therefore important in a democracy to have a public broadcaster funded by government but with an independent board,' he assured the gathered masses.

He further assured the journalists that in the new government, Botswana has the ability to lead by example in safeguarding press freedoms in the continent and that the government is committed to social dialogue in instances of introduction of regulatory measures so that such don’t stifle the independence and functionality of media.

The minister concluded by speaking on the importance of collaboration stating that collaboration is essentially cardinal between government, the media, and civil society to ensure laws protect press freedom whilst promoting responsibility.