Social media stories: Unpacking ‘journalism without fear or favour’

On World Press Freedom Day, Uganda media professionals converged on Twitter to reflect on professionalism and independence of media in the country. In a tweet chat held on Saturday May 2, 2020, leading editors, media development professionals and thinkers discussed the theme of the day: “Journalism without fear or favour”.

“It speaks to the principle of journalistic or editorial independence in the pursuit of the media’s roles of informing the public, providing a platform for debate, monitoring and holding power to account,” tweeted Peter Mwesige, Executive Director ACME, who was one of the panelists in the chat.

It is about journalism that is NOT captured by vested interests (political, economic or social). It means the public will get the full story even if it adversely affects the interests of big advertisers or friends of media owners or the government. #WPFDUG #WorldPressFreedomDay

— Peter G. Mwesige (@pmwesige) May 2, 2020

Carol Beyanga, Managing Editor Digital Content at Nation Media Group Uganda, added, “It is journalism that answers questions, investigating tips and provides information regardless of who’s at the center of the story or what it means for them when the story’s out. It goes for all topics out there, from politics to health to religion.”

Sometimes also, the public has vested interests and might be interested in hearing only one side of the story, that which they prefer to believe. But journalism is about getting the truth out there, whether it is liked or not.#WPFDUG #WorldPressFreedomDay

— Carol Beyanga (@Akeda3) May 2, 2020

Indeed, sometimes when the public don’t hear or read what they want to read, then they accuse the media of being biased. But we should keep telling the stories as they are #WPFDUG

— Evelyn Lirri (@Elirri) May 2, 2020

What did this all mean in the midst of a pandemic? How are journalists to respond to the information and disinformation overload?

Prisca Baike, a participant in the discussion suggested that journalism without fear or favor during the COVID-19 pandemic calls for solution journalism. “Stories should be bold, deep, question the status quo and dig deep to provide answers that the public needs to know.”

Many agreed:

Exactly. Should we say, journalists then should owe loyalty to no one but the truth. We probably need a definition of the truth in the current times of alternative facts. The whole idea of public interest can be vague at times. #WPFDUG #WPFD2020 https://t.co/GyHYxb3qU4

— Gloria Nakajubi (@glorianakajubi) May 2, 2020

Alex Atuhaire, the Editorial Director at PML Daily noted that the pandemic has been a challenging period for media on all fronts.

“The business model has been particularly challenged especially for the legacy channels. With salary cuts announced and probable job losses expected in the medium term, journalism without fear or favour is under serious challenge,” he tweeted.

Journalism without fear or favour in times of #Covid19 means not being afraid to present facts that may challenge the prevailing orthodoxy. It means not being afraid to provide a platform for (legitimate) alternative view points. #WPFDUG #WorldPressFreedomDay @MFAUganda

— Peter G. Mwesige (@pmwesige) May 2, 2020

The debate was later dominated by discussions on journalists’ pay and welfare.

Can there be journalism without fear or favor when the press corps are living in fear of eviction by the land lady, getting a boda accident and no money to pay medical bills, no pay for this month coz the freelancer was sick? What enables/disables “without fear or favor? #WPFDUG

— We Shall Overcome (@IvanOkuda) May 2, 2020

Of course journalists require adequate pay & reasonable working conditions to do journalism without fear or favour. I’m not sure a journalist who doesn’t know what he’ll eat the following day has the right frame of mind to deliver top-notch stories. #WPFDUG #WorldPressFreedomDay

— Peter G. Mwesige (@pmwesige) May 2, 2020

The tweet chat, organised by Media Focus on Africa Uganda and media partners in the country, was just one of several activities to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.