Why the media should report negative stories
Jul 07, 2008
I read with interest an article by Douglas Kisaka titled “Media should not only report negatives,†that was published in The New Vision of June 18. Kisaka noted that the media often publish what is really a reflection of our collective conscience and our personal sense of shame, pessimism and un
By Brenda Kamulegeya
I read with interest an article by Douglas Kisaka titled “Media should not only report negatives,†that was published in The New Vision of June 18. Kisaka noted that the media often publish what is really a reflection of our collective conscience and our personal sense of shame, pessimism and unhappiness.
Kisaka was particularly disappointed by Saturday Vision’s lead story of June 7 titled “Lodges busiest at lunch time,†which highlights increased extra-marital affairs incidents during lunch breaks. He argues that the article was speculative and it should have been buried in the middle of the paper.
One cardinal role of the media is to provide accurate information that will help readers make informed choices. The timing of the publication of the article could not have been better. The article quotes a status report presented to Parliament last World AIDS Day, stating that two-thirds of the people who become infected with HIV in Uganda are married men and women. But the question has been how spouses have found a way round their watchful partners. The answer partly lies in the mini survey that the paper conducted.
This guides policy makers and AIDS activists in designing effective messages in order to curb the HIV pandemic. The need to involve lodge owners in the fight against HIV/ AIDS, as well as immorality, was highlighted. The survey also analysed why marriage is becoming less common among Ugandans. The consequences of not doing so are dire, especially for Uganda which has had remarkable success in containing the AIDS epidemic.
A study conducted by PANOs East Africa, titled: “Analysing 25 years of Media Reporting on HIV and AIDS in Uganda: 1982-2007,†that was circulated during the 5th HIV Conference held at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo, on March 28, called for more research on HIV/AIDS by media practitioners.
“Media owners and practitioners need to be engaged in discussion with the view to realise the need to invest in research and investigative journalism,†it revealed. Surveys, like the one conducted by the paper, show that the media are active participants in shaping and monitoring the national response to HIV/AIDS.
The HIV prevalence rate in the country, according to UNAIDS, rose from 5% in 2001 to about 6.7% by the end of 2001. If the media decide to ignore this because they do not want to be seen as reporting too many negatives, they would have betrayed the public trust.
Similarly, the media was justified in breaking the story on the proposal by the Government to give-away part of Mabira Forest Reserve for sugarcane growing to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL).
The media, as a watchdog of society, highlighted the danger of clearing the forest reserve, set the agenda for debate on whether we should sacrifice the protection of the environment for the sake of development and called policy makers to question. Saving the environment is a global concern and should be the responsibility of everyone. It is the mandate of the media, as a partner in development, to draw attention to the challenges encountered in achieving this.
Corporate companies too have included the protection of the environment in their social responsibility programmes. Must the media, therefore, lay back simply because they do not want to be seen to be reporting negatives? There are more examples of seemingly-negative incidents that the media has reported. This is not to say the media have not covered positive events. However, the public should understand that the media needs to balance its coverage. This serves to hold leaders accountable, influence policy, caution readers and change society.
The media are a mirror of society. The events they cover highlight what takes place on a day-to-day basis. To act oblivious of the negatives in society, therefore, would be a betrayal of the public trust and a disappointment to the cardinals of journalism.
The writer is a journalist
bkamulegeya@newvision.co.ug
I read with interest an article by Douglas Kisaka titled “Media should not only report negatives,†that was published in The New Vision of June 18. Kisaka noted that the media often publish what is really a reflection of our collective conscience and our personal sense of shame, pessimism and unhappiness.
Kisaka was particularly disappointed by Saturday Vision’s lead story of June 7 titled “Lodges busiest at lunch time,†which highlights increased extra-marital affairs incidents during lunch breaks. He argues that the article was speculative and it should have been buried in the middle of the paper.
One cardinal role of the media is to provide accurate information that will help readers make informed choices. The timing of the publication of the article could not have been better. The article quotes a status report presented to Parliament last World AIDS Day, stating that two-thirds of the people who become infected with HIV in Uganda are married men and women. But the question has been how spouses have found a way round their watchful partners. The answer partly lies in the mini survey that the paper conducted.
This guides policy makers and AIDS activists in designing effective messages in order to curb the HIV pandemic. The need to involve lodge owners in the fight against HIV/ AIDS, as well as immorality, was highlighted. The survey also analysed why marriage is becoming less common among Ugandans. The consequences of not doing so are dire, especially for Uganda which has had remarkable success in containing the AIDS epidemic.
A study conducted by PANOs East Africa, titled: “Analysing 25 years of Media Reporting on HIV and AIDS in Uganda: 1982-2007,†that was circulated during the 5th HIV Conference held at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo, on March 28, called for more research on HIV/AIDS by media practitioners.
“Media owners and practitioners need to be engaged in discussion with the view to realise the need to invest in research and investigative journalism,†it revealed. Surveys, like the one conducted by the paper, show that the media are active participants in shaping and monitoring the national response to HIV/AIDS.
The HIV prevalence rate in the country, according to UNAIDS, rose from 5% in 2001 to about 6.7% by the end of 2001. If the media decide to ignore this because they do not want to be seen as reporting too many negatives, they would have betrayed the public trust.
Similarly, the media was justified in breaking the story on the proposal by the Government to give-away part of Mabira Forest Reserve for sugarcane growing to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL).
The media, as a watchdog of society, highlighted the danger of clearing the forest reserve, set the agenda for debate on whether we should sacrifice the protection of the environment for the sake of development and called policy makers to question. Saving the environment is a global concern and should be the responsibility of everyone. It is the mandate of the media, as a partner in development, to draw attention to the challenges encountered in achieving this.
Corporate companies too have included the protection of the environment in their social responsibility programmes. Must the media, therefore, lay back simply because they do not want to be seen to be reporting negatives? There are more examples of seemingly-negative incidents that the media has reported. This is not to say the media have not covered positive events. However, the public should understand that the media needs to balance its coverage. This serves to hold leaders accountable, influence policy, caution readers and change society.
The media are a mirror of society. The events they cover highlight what takes place on a day-to-day basis. To act oblivious of the negatives in society, therefore, would be a betrayal of the public trust and a disappointment to the cardinals of journalism.
The writer is a journalist
bkamulegeya@newvision.co.ug