Local media at war with itself

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday December 5, 2017 13:12

The credibility of the media is also at stake. Instead of reporting factual stories, publication of fake news is the order of the day in our local publications.

We support healthy debate about any topic, be it our editorial independence or lack thereof at Dikgang Publishing Company (DPC).

We need not repeat that we respect anybody’s right to freedom of expression, and we will be the last people to complain about what somebody else has criticised.

We regret to note that healthy debate in Botswana, especially where the media is involved, is a thing of the past.

Media practitioners are a malicious lot. Their debate about each other is full of scurrilous, insults, innuendoes as a result of hatred against each other.

If a certain publication does not support a particular stand taken by another it becomes a source of hatred by competitors.

Some media practitioners will go all the way to discredit other publications to please their political handlers.

Sadly, we have political activists masquerading as journalists.

Journalists, like any person in the society are influenced by their surroundings, and have personal opinion on some topics, but that is not a licence to sell one’s political convictions as gospel truth. This publication is one of the most hated publications because of its firm stand not to side with certain political players.

Hence these nocturnal evil plans to discredit some publications by some in the media at any given opportunity.

We are not going to waive our principles just to please a mob. Never! Anyone who thinks that is gone bonkers.

Facts will separate us from the rest. At the end of the day, we will be judged by our loyal readers and not some people hell-bent on fighting for a market share with us.

At the end of the day, journalism is the biggest loser in this worthless war. Why is the media hell-bent on destroying themselves, we cannot fathom.

Sadly, the reader is sold a lie at the end of the day. We appeal to comrades in the media industry to abide by journalism ethics all the time.

Today’s thought

“I really get worried when media houses go all out to discredit each other in public. It doesn’t look bad on the media outlets at each others throats, but it looks bad on the journalism profession and affects mostly the profession that is journalism,

and not the names involved.”

 – Thuso Palai