Deal with message, not the messenger
This newspaper yesterday carried a story of a national environmental agency official threatening journalists against covering mining activities in Lwera wetland in Mpigi and Kalungu districts (see Daily Monitor, Thursday, December 29, Nema official warns journalists over Lwera wetland coverage).
Addressing a community awareness meeting last week at Kamaliba Landing Site in Nkozi Sub-county, Mpigi District, Mr Jerome Ssebadduka, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) natural resource manager, warned journalists to desist from citing names of prominent personalities or their companies in regard to sand mining in Lwera.
From even the man on the streets viewpoint, it is difficult to ascertain what was at the back of the Nema official’s mind. However, it is wrong for an official of his stature to make what passes for an irresponsible statement. While it is his or anybody’s right to think to throw barbs at journalists for one reason or another, it was certainly unwise for the Nema official to make a blanket judgement that journalists “sometimes spread false information…” Worse still, the official’s threat and assurance that “it takes me nothing or no time to slap a journalist when he or she is doing wrong” seems to be a misguided verbal missile.
Considering that the media and by extension reporters and editors are not angels who cannot err in the course of performing their duties, Mr Ssebadduka should not have fired the bullet at journalists and aimed later.
First, Mr Ssebadduka, to clear the air, should have pointed out where the journalist in this particular case went overboard. What were specifics for which he berated journalists?
Was there no sand mining activity taking place? If the answer is yes, then isn’t it prudent that a journalist proceeds to name the people or companies behind the mining – regardless of whether the activity is legal or otherwise? Normal practice, and this is done worldwide, demands that when a journalist makes a mistake in the understanding of the affected party, the wise step to take is to ask for space to rebut the misinformation, clarify, correct and put the record straight.
No media house or journalist worth the name will turn away an offended institution or person willing to make a correction, clarification or a rejoinder to what has been published on what they deem misrepresented or tarnished their image. The door to making amends in the media is always open.
Going forward, it is good to know that journalists are human beings who can be talked to. So, stop threatening to slap them.
The issue: Attacking journalists on duty.
Our view: Normal practice, and this is done worldwide, demands that when a journalist makes a mistake in the understanding of the affected party, and journalists often do, the wise step to take is to ask for a space for rebut the misinformation, clarify, correct and put the record straight.
