Nowhere is this tension more pronounced than in the reporting of the death of prominent individuals, a moment steeped in emotion, public interest, and increasingly, misinformation. Traditionally in Botswana and across much of Africa, the passing of an individual, especially a respected public figure, is treated with utmost cultural sensitivity. The family, elders, and community leaders follow defined protocols to inform relatives before any public announcement is made. The practice is rooted in values of respect, dignity, and communal mourning. However, these norms were meaningful in a time when news travelled by word of mouth, when a funeral announcement was made at the kgotla or via Radio Botswana (Ditatolo programme) days later. Consequently, in today’s digital reality, where social media has overtaken conventional news cycles, the expectation that journalists will hold back until next of kin have been informed is no longer practical nor always possible.
The world has changed. We now live in a digital reality where information moves in real-time. Within minutes of an incident, unverified posts, voice notes, and photos begin to circulate, often amplified by well-meaning but uninformed users. Whether verified or not, the public consumes that information as “truth” and runs with it. By the time a journalist attempts to verify the information, the public may already be flooded with a mix of speculation, half-truths, and outright falsehoods. This phenomenon is part of the broader issue of information disorders - the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation - which journalists now navigate daily. In the emotional fog following the death of a prominent person, false reports of their passing (or survival), misattributed quotes, or inaccurate details about the cause of death often go viral long before a credible news outlet publishes anything. In such a landscape, expecting the media to remain silent while disinformation runs unchecked puts journalists in a difficult position. By not reporting, the media risks ceding ground to social media speculation.
