Why journalists must stick to truth, facts

Long before the Finance Bill protests, a media summit in Nairobi rallied local journalists and media houses to create positive narratives about Africa.

Attendees of the All Africa Media Leaders’ Summit also spoke on why objective journalism is essential, particularly when reporting on a continent that’s a victim of media bullying.

There are two sides in Africa’s media portrayal. One is led by Afro-pessimists who tout doom. They see the continent as a den of graft, poverty and disease. Then we have Afro-optimists who revel at abundance, hope, creativity and African pride.

That said, the pursuit of truth in journalism, which is at times a socially-oriented phenomenon, must be practical and grounded in verifiable facts. The misreporting we saw around Malawi Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s death revives debate on Africa’s place in the global media scene.

Some stories were completely off. In the UK, the framing of Mr Chilima’s helicopter crash on June 10 was marred by an inappropriate focus on Malawi's poverty, overshadowing the gravity of the vice-president's death alongside nine others, and its political consequences. 

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One newscaster shamelessly read: “A plane crash in one of the world’s poorest countries has claimed the life of the vice-president and nine others…” There was another curious one: “A vice president acquitted of graft charges in one of Africa’s poorest countries has died in a place crash.”

The primary news should have been the helicopter crash and its impact, not a reductionist portrayal of Malawi’s economic status. Such reporting exemplifies a severe breach of journalistic ethics, raising questions about the underlying biases and intentions of reporters and editors.

We can’t reinvent the wheel. Reporting disasters, violent crimes, or personal tragedy obliges journalists to strike a balance between accuracy, compassion, and respect for the deceased and their families. This underscores the necessity for ‘Western’ media to revisit basics ethics.

And just last month, there was the series of articles under ‘Rwanda Classified’ by a consortium of Western journalists, coordinated by ‘Forbidden Stories’, which would easy pass for problematic reporting. The articles appeared to unfairly target President Paul Kagame, primed on unverified allegations and neglecting conclusive judicial investigations.

By ignoring the verdicts from South African and Belgian authorities, which deemed the deaths of Thomas Ngeze and Pieter-Jan Staelens as suicides, the journalists compromised objectivity in saying the two were killed by State.

‘Forbidden Stories’ is said to be a Paris-based media pressure group. Under it, 50 journalists from 11 nations working for 17 media houses set out to ‘investigate’ Rwanda and Mr Kagame ahead of the country's election on July 15. With a curious timing, their articles have widely been discredited.

When journalists or their media house pursue stories with pre-conceived narratives rather than an impartial investigation, trust in news brands badly suffers. Such an approach is perilous, and undermines the credibility of journalism by perpetuating mistrust by the public. The Digital News Report of the Reuters Institute 2023 shows how trust continues to decline globally.

Journalists should approach their work without biases. They should present facts. Objective journalism fosters informed discourse and holds power accountable. Africa, with its diverse cultures and histories, deserves reporting that reflects its complexity and richness.

Objective journalism can challenge stereotypes, correct misinformation, and promote a nuanced understanding of the continent.  The flawed reporting on Malawi and Rwanda affirm the need for ‘outside’ media to further commit to ethical, fair, and factual journalism.

The Nairobi summit was right that perhaps it’s time for African journalisms to unite and form a Pan-African news platform to correct stubborn negative perceptions.

-The writer is a communications practitioner. X:@markoloo