When I was starting out in the media, I got a chance to be a guide to a host of international journalists covering the Kibwetere inferno story. Its was 1998, I was in Form 5. Since I was the youngest at the New Vision office then, my bro Richard Tusiime and mentors Arinaitwe Otim Rugyendo Patrick Mugumya James Mujuni would recomend me as a translator and a guide for guys from many media houses going to Kanungu and others areas where the cult leader had burnt over 1000 of his followers and buried hundreds underground in mass graves in their compounds dotted across the western region. It was an honour and I think my years thereafter in the media, were inspired by the ethic and lifestyle of these journos - apart from the fact that many never showered! One thing struck me, while Uganda journalists were snapping away on bodies as they were exhumed, guys from BBC, NY post, Daily News, Rueters etc were taking pictures of kids crying, bystanders holding their noses to avoid the stench, priests praying for the bodies. So as our papers were littered with pictures of dead bodies from the horrific mass murder, they had different shots that told the story . Yesterday, following the gruesome assassination of music and city tycoon Kasiwukira, many news outlets and individuals including MP Nabilah shared bloody pictures of the old man. We had a debate with the experts on a Uganda Journalist forum and after several arguments , I am convinced that its not necessary to run graphic images of the dead bodies anywhere unless to depict new information . Much as i know that as a journalist, you should detach yourself from the story and report as is, its important also to be responsible. For those with these pictures on your pages, you are what -to me - Don Mc calls embuzi. RIP Mzee Kasiwukira
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 09:52:04 +0000
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