This article was published in The Citizen Newspaper – Tanzania on 27th June, 2023.
Some highly revered Holy Writ is quoted to have said: “There is time for everything.” This has been proved and made evident time after time, in history and in our times. With things changing so fast, and most changes becoming irreversible, it is a responsible orientation to have an understanding that there is time for everything.
Recently, there have been heated discussions about the status of our ports in Tanzania, of which, in part, the circulated opinions touched the hearts of many patriotic Tanzanians. It is a time when people are so keenly drawn to news sites, radios, televisions, and other internet sources, to learn what is being said in response.
Online engagement in social media went considerably higher in posts that concern such matters, compared to other matters that news media put forward. Many people and institutions that would often reserve their opinions have been heard airing their concerns and fears.
Alongside that, experts and analysts have been sought and the appropriate authorities are highly awaited, as they have clear facts as well as coherent and perspicuous explanations.
The logical and analytical exchanges that go around testify to one thing, that is, Tanzanians are awake, and have genuine passion and love for their country, a reason they do not want to be left behind.
The usual mix-ups
Amid all those crucial questions going about our heads, as usual, a distracting wind blew. This was the news about the arrival of undergraduate medical students from Sudan. It is not in the interest of this article to go into details about their status, as that is unkind. The concern is, however, how and why their arrival became a national concern and captured the attention of millions of people.
‘Why?’ is a crucial question. This is because we are not in an era where foreigners are a new thing to us. Technically, it can be some fun with memorable consequences. Some influential people, artists, politicians, etc. all went in to make silly comments regarding the same.
Ethically, some of those comments are rude, and abusive, and contain nothing dignified to write home about. Yet, they are ‘our kind of fun’, as they are thoughts of people whose opinions echo widely and have influence. That is as well not the concern of this discourse as it was all a result of an unimplied purpose and interest of the publishing media.
In a very little while, these doctors, especially the females among them, became superstars in Tanzania. At that point, the fears that crucial national assets are being unfavourably transferred were no longer heard.
Though we do not talk about such things all the time, the quality of public opinion, and what most people are interested in needs to be worked upon, through our formal and informal systems of learning. No country in the world does that. No patriotic citizens sacrifice crucial disquisitions for such idle small talk.
Worrisome professionalism
Pragmatically, an analytical person will question the quality of professionalism in our media and news industry. Journalism, as explained by experts, “Should provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies and their governments.” The primary goal, “is to empower those informed.” (‘The Purpose of Journalism’ Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel).
Journalists, whether for audiovisuals, print media, or modern web-based platforms, need to have the basic and most important qualities of the practice, that is, being observant, analytical, with integrity, and reliably aware of the needs of the public.
Stories should not be published just because we have them, and also not just the way we feel we can publish them, but rather because they are important, and have a positive impact. In all that it is important to maintain the truth value and dignity of the information being communicated.
Some sociologists consider ‘gossip’ as a social skill, as opposed to it being a character flaw. Yet, whether it is a flaw in character or social skill, gossip slows down growth and progress, especially when it becomes the regular template of our news.
For the consumers, it is high time we educate ourselves not to make big deals or become consumers of gossip and claptraps. While the Sudanese doctors’ story is a case study today, there is a lot more unimportant news going around, and more incompetent journalists.
The national debates will have wider coverage if the media talks about national concerns as much as they entertain small talks, nonchalance, and celebrities’ personal lives. The trends of the time, especially regarding the shared sociopolitical atmosphere should be respected. There are times when we should not mix or exaggerate matters – especially when one is clearly irrelevant.
The biggest and most valuable legacy a generation hands on to another is a bundle of well-polished skills. That’s the secret of flourishing institutions and nations. Allowing the quality of our media and public opinion platforms to wane down does not promise anything good. A few decades from now we are likely to have journalists with no journalistic ethics, skills, or competence.
