At the time, community radio stations and newspapers were still aspirational and the journalist was often viewed with suspicion and regarded not as a partner in development or watchdog of democracy but a threat or outsider. Unfortunately after so many years, that distrust still lingers today. In that piece, I also warned of a coming shift - the rise of citizen journalism, mobile reporters or "MoJos" as they are often called and participatory media models such as CNN’s “iReport.” I observed how advances in technology and the growing desire for free-flowing information were changing how news is created and consumed. The media was undergoing a quiet revolution. Traditional journalists were no longer the sole custodians of credibility or the only ones with access to privileged information. In essence, the power to shape public narratives was beginning to decentralise. The question now is: What has this power shift produced? Has it strengthened our democracy or eroded it? What we see today is a media environment bursting with content but not always with clarity.
The ability of ordinary citizens to report, share and amplify events has been both a blessing and a burden. We have witnessed moments when grassroots reportage brought hidden stories to light, challenged power and rallied communities. Conversely, we are also increasingly seeing the darker side of this transformation. The spread of falsehoods, distortion of facts and the weaponisation of digital platforms to mislead, divide or incite are common. This raises a troubling question: Who do we trust now? The trained journalist, working under editorial standards and ethical codes, continues to be lumped in with anonymous social media users and influencers, some of whom peddle unverified content for clicks or clout. The result is a media space where credibility is diluted and confusion thrives. Where once we imagined the emergence of a smart network mob (citizens empowered by technology to challenge corruption, demand transparency and share information in real time), we are now contending with something more unruly. Smart networks have, in many instances, devolved into misinformation mobs. Instead of elevating democratic discourse, some networks have become echo chambers of rumour, anger and tribalised narratives. What began as a tool for civic engagement is, at times, feeding polarisation and undermining public trust. Just last week, I participated in a webinar organised by the Botswana Editors Forum and United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office in Botswana on how to counter hate speech in Botswana newsrooms. The difficult question was: Balancing Free Speech with Public Security – How to police hate speech without infringing on media freedom? Faced with this reality, a new urgency arises: How do we regulate social media without silencing citizens? The impulse to act is understandable. No government can ignore the real dangers of hate speech, disinformation or coordinated online harm.
