By
Moshood Isah
The
notion of a free press emanated after resilient agitation against the early
authoritarian stance towards the press in the society. It is pertinent to
say that nations have developed from the philosophy of absolutism where both
private and public owned media existed to service the government of the day, to
a more rational and free society where media can check the excesses of
government.
This
was why the media was dubbed the ‘fourth estate of the realm’. Both the moral
and constitutional power mustered by the media in any society has given it the
leverage to operate almost on a ‘free-hand’ basis. Thus, there have been calls
to also curb the excesses of the media.
The
Internet technology has led to influx of various online media which are
gradually ousting the mainstream media. The online media has become so rampant
that anyone can launch a news blog without knowing a single law and ethics of
the media and become a ‘journalist’ overnight. Many online bloggers are
not really qualified professionals but are the most dependable source of
information in the country due to their timeliness.
Even
though newspapers are moving with the trend of timeliness by updating their
sites as soon as events happen, hard copies of tabloids will still be on the
news stand. The emergence of online media has made it easier for individuals or
groups to operate without the needed license. Thus, this gives them the levity
to disseminate information with impunity whether true or false. More so, it is
very difficult to track such personnel because of the anonymous nature of the
medium.
In
this vein, there is an incessant conscious or unconscious violation of media
ethics with a regulator. Even though not a classical example, the Wendel
Simlin pseudonym case on Twitter allegedly trying to defame the reputation of a
former public servant was just a sign that violation of journalism law has gone
viral. More so, there are instances of stalking and hacking through personal
information like text messages all in the name of investigative reporting.
At
this juncture, there is need to say that it is not only the online media that
are culpable in most of these offences. It is rather unfortunate to know that
even the mainstream traditional media with operating licenses and who are
supposed to have signed undertaking to uphold these laws and ethics are also
often found wanting.
The
Constitution and the social system have no doubt bestowed on the media, the
responsibility and the freedom of information dissemination and so there is
need to live up to such billings. It is no more news that due to a desire to
earn bragging right, media houses tend to report inaccurate information and end
up misleading the society.
The
typical Nigerian media will rather use a large number to describe the magnitude
of an event, even when it is certain that numbers could not be verified. It is
far better and safer to use clause like ‘we cannot authoritatively verify this
number or figures as the case may be’.
The
audience will definitely comprehend the stand of the media due to the
complexity of the situation. In this era of insecurity, the least expected from
the media is accurate information. The media has a better way of optimizing its
freedom rather than abusing it to some extent.
The
Freedom of Information Bill is an opportunity the media should grab with both
hands in availing the citizens of vital information. The media with its large
amount of freedom can be socially responsible to a very large extent and also
serve as catalyst to the development of societies.
Tracking
the manifestos of political parties and prompting them via interviews and
political platforms will go a long way in keeping public servants and
executives on their toes in a bid to fulfill their manifestos. Media houses
can also put their heads together in ensuring credible elections by tracking
the entire process in every polling unit. This may be difficult but it is not
too much a sacrifice for the betterment of the nation.
The
bodies vested with regulation of media activities have a lot of work to do in
improving on the level of sanity in the system. Bodies like Nigerian Union of
Journalists can organise seminars and workshops in a bid to further educate
journalists, especially freshers, on the need to maintain the law and ethics of
the profession in any situation.
There
is also need to draw a line between public interest information and other media
ethics, especially the law of privacy. Most importantly, the government should
regulate activities of news blogging by ensuring that they go through normal
processes of registration so they can be tracked with ease when the need
arises.
Moshood Isah, a public affairs commentator,
wrote from Abuja.
Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/
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