Patriotic journalism vs watchdog journalism: Navigating the thin line of truth
Friday, October 17, 2025 | 110 Views |
Nkhoma PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
In April 1961, the world watched in disbelief as a small fleet of exiled Cubans, backed by the United States, attempted to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The mission ended in disaster, hundreds were captured and the US military suffered a humiliating defeat.
In the aftermath, President John F. Kennedy accused the American press of failing to report a leak about the operation, suggesting that, had journalists informed the public, it might have spared the army both embarrassment and unnecessary loss of life.
It is a clear signal that the government’s purse is empty and that our own behaviour has left veterinary officials fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. We have been here before. During COVID-19, many of us thought we knew better. We ignored simple rules, we carried on as if the danger was someone else’s problem, and the virus took lives and left our economy on its knees. We are still broke from that experience. Yet now, with FMD...