Free press, who wants their dirty linen made public?

The reason their hair stands at the mention of media is the fact that journalists wield the power to hang out their dirty linen for the whole world to see, and let’s be honest, who wants that?

This where lobbyists come in, just like they solicit, bribe and intimidate to get a law passed or a contract signed , they do the same with the media.

When a company is dumping toxic waste into a water source or cheating on their taxes, if a public official is stealing from their office, the last thing they want is for their wrong doings to be aired on the 8 O’clock news and to make sure they don’t make front page, they send their lobbyists to corrupt the media.

The dilemma is, toxic waste in a water source is a death sentence to the final consumer, you and me and cheating public official is no better, it means social services are not delivered and in both cases, the media cannot overlook, the truth must come out.

So we honour each and every journalist who has put their own interests aside and prioritized the common good. While they good have foregone the toxic waste story and taken the chunk of money the company was offering or ignored the misdoing of the public official again for a wad full of bank notes, the journalist takes the bull by the horn.

Be it at the frontline of conflict riddled zones or in the face of riot police, tears gas and bullets, the journalist will get the story by any means necessary.
Information is the root of all human development, man is a social being and at the pick of his social life is communication. Deny the public information and you deny them prosperity, give them the wrong information and you control them, that is the power of media.

So as we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day, let us keep in mind the purpose of media, to inform us, and in recognition of our need for truthful, accurate and timely information let us all stand for press freedom.

Without the freedom of press that toxic waste would end up in your water taps and that corrupt public official will keep eating your hard earned tax. Consider the millions that were swindled from the Tegeta escrow account, though the money was never returned (as far as we know) at least the public was made aware of the foul play that was happening right under their noses.

This is true the world over and Tanzanians should not be left behind in the global call for protection of journalists. As part of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, media and press-freedom organizations around the world are urging the United Nations to create a special representative for the secretary general whose mission would be protection of journalists worldwide.

Because as long as the dirty linen is personal, the media has no say in it but when the dirt is of public interest it must be brought before the public and the media should not be persecuted for doing so.