Ugandan and African journalists were on Wednesday urged to rediscover the purpose of journalism in society, if they are to contribute to the continent’s transformation.
The call was made by renowned communication expert Eric Chinje, who delivered the third Media and Politics in Africa lecture, organized by the African Centre for Media Expert (ACME).
Cameroonian Chinje, a former TV journalist who later worked for the World Bank, is now CEO of the Nairobi-based African Media Initiative. He spoke on the theme of Communi- cation as the missing link in Africa’s socio transformation.
Africa prospects, he said, have improved – declared a “hopeless continent” in 2000 only to be seen as the world’s “last remaining economic frontier” 13 years later.
“If we do not improve on the quality of conversations we have, on the quality of media content, this phase will pass us by, and those who come after us will ask what we did,” Chinje told about 300 guests at the public lecture, moderated by Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga.
He invited journalists to dig deeper towards the purpose of media, and con- tribute to attaining “the Africa we want” – a tag line of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Giving the example of agriculture, Chinje called for more content that addresses the challenges faced by the ordinary person – as op- posed to media’s “obsession” with politics.
“If [your purpose as a journalist] is only about you making money and influencing people, then you’ve narrowed the meaning of your life,” Chinje said.
“But if that purpose is to help make this country a better country, make this continent a better continent, if you take the higher road, you will be forced to redefine whatever purpose you have right now.”
He recalled his time as head of news at Cameroon Radio & Television, when he routinely rejected attempts to bribe him with brown envelopes. With local media dogged by persistent complaints about unethical conduct, Chinje urged journalists not to “compromise their professional values” – whatever their circumstances.
“As editor in chief of Cameroon Radio and Television, I lived in the most modest of circumstances… But I also know the pride and pleasure of saying ‘no’ [to bribes],” Chinje said.
Journalists must also aim at becoming authoritative by doing thorough research. We need, Chinje said, to create a “constituency of people who question policy with facts”, rather than emotional arguments.
Veteran journalist Drake Ssekkeba was among a few guests singled out by Kabushenga to speak – alongside presidential advisor Kakooza Mutale and former Lubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi. Ssekkeba, who recently published a book, Media bullets in Uganda, urged journalists to invest in research, adding: “And now you are lucky you have the internet”.