Topic: Consequences of media praise
singing
Writer: Olayinka Alaya
A broadcasting profession is
embodied in what the psychologist calls 'avoidance conflict'. In other words, a
journalist is standing in between the devil and the deep blue sea, staying
where he is, is dangerous and moving elsewhere is as bad. Armed with the
knowledge of the ethics of his profession, he braves up writing things that could be
offensive to the powers that be.
He
does this because the public has the right to know and the media professionals have
not only the right to make known, but also a social responsibility that compels
them to provide the public with the much-needed information. All over the world, the role of the fourth
estate of the realm is acknowledged. Autocracy needs the mass media as much as
government and politics.
However,
as a human institution, the mass media are subject to human frailties. Praise
singing is an unethical issue in journalism. It goes beyond praising or commending
somebody who deserves such to a propagandistic exaggeration of the person's
achievement or actions. Often, praise singing isn't meant to inform,
educate, entertain or mobilize but
to deceive by painting a wrong picture of a
situation.
The
slogan which was used by both national and state broadcasting stations in the dying
months of military dispensation, ' who the cap fits, let him wear it', was repeatedly
aired to sponsor Abacha as the right person as the prospective Head of State,
media people were intimidated and induced to toe this line.
As
the 2015 general elections is nearer, federal and state governments had been
mobilizing the media, particularly the broadcast to sing their praises again
not minding the fulfillment of their electioneering campaign promises.
Journalists
are hedged in a field of sociological and environmental factors. These forces
refer to such factors as societal norms, social group beliefs, socio-political
climate, social order, material well being, law and order, all of which
also determine the nature of the
news or programmes transmitted. While the broadcast professionals must take
care of these varying interests clamouring for their attention, they still have
to be socially responsible to their audience which needs nothing short of
factual information.
Praise
singing which cuts across is more pronounced in the government-owned stations.
This is because everything about affairs, whether administrative or editorial,
is basically political. This evokes the over-abused relationship of the
payer-of-the-piper and the dictator of the tune.
Certain
journalistic trends, beliefs or ethics have been altered and this
underscores the need for journalists
to be more socially responsible than to indulge
in mere sycophancy. Therefore, it is
advisable for government to allow both federal and state-owned media to operate
independently, because the public needs undiluted information not diluted ones.
A
journalist needs initiatives to function within the ethical parameters so that
he can blow the pipe without a discordant note. Professional journalists must
not be compelled to praise sing and should not vested interest in the subject
of praise singing.
Praise
singing must be condemned at all levels, government should stop using media to deceive
the masses, whereas media should be used to disseminate factual information that
would benefit the public. Democracy gives broadcast people room to operate and perform
their obligations towards the public and expose the ills of individual, public
or private, in the interest of the common good.
Providing
crucial information about the government is extremely important because it would
enable the government know the opinions of the masses about its policies and activities
and in return, relay the feedback to the government.
The
people's right to know of events of public importance particularly political matters
constitutes the major task of the broadcast media. Therefore, media practitioners
should desist from praise singing rather show the true picture of an individual
or event.
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