I am not going to talk much about the public media, as we have seen just how blatantly they disregard globally accepted ethical media practices. Only due to the fact that there will be some people who cry foul to this statement, I must ask, is it ethical for state media to give one political party significantly more coverage than the remaining parties combined? In the same light, is it ethical for the media as a whole to neglect objectivity? I want you to really think about whether the media as a whole is truly objective in their reporting of political matters. The media is a very powerful tool. With the power the media has comes the responsibility to its consumers to be objective and truthful. More than that, the media should be responsible enough to not be swayed by political influences. Many of us have experienced, or at least have heard of someone who has experienced the shock that some tourists, especially those from the western world, express when they eventually visit “Africa”. Many of them expect to find us “Africans” living in trees and mud huts, wearing next to nothing and owning elephants and lions as pets. This is due to the images of Africa they see in their MEDIA. Due to their media, westerners are naïve of the fact that Africa is not a country, but a continent full of sovereign states. Their perception of Africa is shaped by the media. So yes, the media can misinform and if they do that continuously, a perception is formed. This perception informs decisions of the reader. In the case of Botswana, that is how MOONO performed the way that it did at the polls. Just by influencing the electorate’s perception into believing what they truly do not understand.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:57:28 +0000