Who does not want quality journalism?

By Editor

Editorial Cartoon

The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) on Tuesday named 101 media practitioners – 46 from newspapers, 39 from radio stations and 16 from TV stations – to vie for special mention in 19 categories of the 2013 Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania (EJAT).


It took a nine-member panel of judges, all of them media gurus, a whole week to sieve through 907 entries before they came up with the list.
Not a big deal? Wrong, wrong, wrong! This is because it is part of the role of the men and women commonly referred to rather loosely as media practitioners to prove by both word and deed that they are engaged in professional practice par excellence.

Controversial as the proposition may seem, it is important that these people be conversant with the demands of their activities. These include having a sound knowledge of what they are supposed to do, observing the basic principles governing their practice and their overall conduct as members of society generally and as members of a fraternity of professionals, as well as fighting for their rights.

Those who know about Missouri School of Journalism (US) founding dean Walter Williams and ‘The Journalist’s Creed’ – his highly quotable 1914 personal affirmation of journalism ethics that has since been published in more than 100 languages – know what we mean.

This is part of what Williams had to say: “I believe that clear thinking, clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism. I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true.”

To Williams, the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service and the only consideration or defence for suppression of news is the welfare of society.

To paraphrase him: The journalism which succeeds most is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of society but always unafraid, quickly indignant at injustice, and unswayed by the appeal of the privilege or the clamour of the mob.

Williams rooted for journalism that sought to give every person an equal chance, was profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international goodwill and cementing world comradeship, and was therefore a journalism of humanity.

No wonder it is reported that a bronze plaque of the world-acclaimed creed he drew up still hangs at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Like the codes of professional conduct many media institutions across the globe have put together and voluntarily agreed to observe, Williams’ creed sheds light on both the rights and the responsibilities of the media fraternity.

MCT boasts an own code of ethics which all those involved in or otherwise associated with media work in Tanzania, be it reporters, photographers, bloggers, sub-editors, managing editors, publishers, etc., etc., are supposed to abide by.

Wonder why? Well, it is all for the sake of achieving professional EXCELLENCE, since perfection is seldom attainable!

This is as it should be, for journalism must be a powerful and dynamic profession of integrity or it will face extremely hard times. Our sincere thanks to all those determined to make EJAT continue to make Tanzanian journalism tick. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN