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In Defence of Press Freedom
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 14:15
By Ebou GayeJournalists in different parts of the world, Africa in particular, suffer miserably nowadays. They are subjected to persecution in the form of harassment, humiliation, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detention, incarceration and murder by bigoted, totalitarian, authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical, self-serving and
oppressive regimes or sadistic, venomous individuals, with the complicity of opportunists, puppets and zombies who are always eager to manipulate the law, endorse laws obstructing journalists or carry out instructions to victimize or brutalize them. What a pity! It is either the case that those set out to hinder journalists are oblivious to the importance of the fourth estate or that they are fully cognizant of its importance in society but have deliberately chosen to hamper journalists for ulterior motives. The latter case is more likely, given the fact that many people want their good deeds to be publicized and, at the same time, want to see the bad deeds of their opponents exposed. The point is buttressed by the fact that many governments befriend praise-singing or pro-government journalists and grant them privileges, while discriminating against the others whom they view as detractors, saboteurs and unpatriotic citizens who deserve torment, chastisement or death. The importance of the press cannot be over-emphasized. It informs, educates, enlightens and entertains besides serving as a watchdog. I would not hesitate to vociferate that the press is indispensable with regard to the promotion of justice, democracy and human rights, in default of which there can’t be meaningful, veritable and durable peace and development. The press should be viewed as a development partner, not an enemy. Suppressing press freedom means keeping people in the dark, which gives rise to rumour mongering whose accompaniments could be enormously detrimental and undesirable.
It is worthy to note that any made attempt to silence the press arouses suspicion and attracts negative interpretations, rightly or wrongly. Trying to muzzle the press can be interpreted as a way of trying to conceal or hide one’s misdeeds. If one is sure of having a clean record or having no skeleton in his cupboard, as journalist would put, there is no need for him to try to gag the press. As the saying goes, it is he who has hidden something up that has a problem with people looking up, and thus tries to prevent them from doing so. Put in crude terms, one would not care whether people look up or not if he does not have anything up which he wants to keep out of sight. Likewise, one would not mind journalists reporting his deeds or acts if he has not done anything wrong whose exposure can discredit him or cause embarrassment for him. Logically speaking, hatred or fear of journalists and the desire to silence, harm or liquidate them means fear of being exposed. People in position of responsibility should bear in mind that their comportment and acts are of public interest and hence attract the attention of the press. They better dismount their positions or pack up and leave if they cannot behave ethically and rationally or conduct affairs as expected of them and feel that the press should spare them or leave them alone. I put it to the enemies of the press that attempting to silence journalists is an unachievable goal and those who seek to achieve it can be likened to an elephant that tries to pass through the eye of a needle.
Nothing can justify acts geared to towards muzzling the press. Media practitioners err sometimes but that should not prompt people to try to gag the press in totality. People of other occupations commit blunders without being subjected to persecution like journalists or attempts being made to impose a blanket ban on them. I defy any one to name me a career or a profession in which practitioners are immune to mistakes. It is common knowledge that some people who flay or castigate journalists branding them as criminals for making mistakes are much more reproachable or blameworthy than the latter in that they commit much more grave goofs. If mistakes are to be used as the sole excuse for clamping down on the activities of media practitioners, those press-phobic people should quit their jobs first, on account of their errors or wrong doings. Like people of other professions, media practitioners have formed organizations serving to bind them together, and laid down codes of conduct which guide them in their work. Hence, journalists should be allowed to practise their profession unhindered if members of other professions are allowed to execute their duties without obstruction. Journalists have an inalienable right to practise their profession freely by virtue of the fact that they have a stake in the running of the affairs of their nations like other citizens. In summary, there shouldn’t be any form of discrimination between members of different professions in society. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Where journalists are deemed not qualified enough to practise, efforts should be made to help them to develop themselves or ameliorate their skills through training. This is the way forward, not persecution.
However, I hasten to note that journalists should try as much as possible to get their facts right, report with utmost objectivity and criticize constructively when things go wrong. They should also praise where praises are due and criticize where criticism is due. If one is kind enough to praise, he should be courageous and sincere enough to criticize as a way of righting wrongs. By the same token, one should be fair enough to praise as a way of encouraging good deeds if he is brave enough to criticize. The logic behind blending the two is to ensure balanced reporting, for dwelling on one could have nullifying, injurious ramifications. Praising too much could be very misleading, and criticizing too much could incur the wrath of people thereby jeopardize one’s life. In a nutshell, journalists should try to abide by their codes of conduct, observe the ethics of their profession at all times and avoid sensationalism. This facilitates their work and minimizes the danger to which they are exposed.
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Comments
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Word for reminders, for humour & good guidance, great minds think alike......commendable.
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Me, sir? king-Kanilai the first is infallible & cures AIDs...; expendable!
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The ‘critic’ Journalist’s also concerned & equally entitled to say & interest of the state of affairs; as put your mouth where your money is? After all, what right has the oppressor more than the oppressed, on issues of communal interests???
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