By Frank Tucker
The idea of journalists joining politics may not be a new phenomenon. But
in the last few weeks and months there has been public concern after
at least four journalists hung their pens and notebooks and
microphones and started canvassing for votes. In this article, FRANK
TUCKER looks at the issue of whether or not members of the Fourth
Estate should move to the Legislative or Executive arms of
government.
The current political landscape of our country has witnessed the desire
of practitioners in the field of journalism throwing their hats into
the political ring, even where there is neither a hat nor a ring. How
this pans out for the future of journalism in Sierra Leone is a cause
for concern and therefore the focus of this article. I don’t intend
to mention names of journalists who have chosen politics as their new
career, but merely look at the impact of this state of affairs on the
future practice of journalism in the country.
In greater parts of the world, especially in the West, politics appears
to be a career which begins for most politicians during their
university sojourn. This means that in addition to their education
political interest is manifested to the extent of being recognised
and groomed at political party levels. In Sierra Leone, politics has
become a secondary career for professionals like legal and medical
practitioners, engineers, academics, and especially more recently,
journalists. They venture into politics after establishing themselves
in their various professions. It is however observed that apart from
one, in the above listed careers, practitioners can enter politics
and thereafter return to practice without much damage done to their
careers. Not so, in my view, for journalism.
For example, a medical practitioner can retire from politics and return
to practice without condemnation from the public or impact on his
practice except for the loss of a few patients due to the passage of
time, and in extreme cases, some patients in our ever dividing
society who may feel strongly about the doctor's political
conviction. By observation it is the same for Academics, Engineers
and Lawyers.
I believe it is so because these professions largely provide direct
services to the public rather than influence the minds and shape
public opinion on governance and political issues which require the
use of an independent, free and untainted lenses of a neutral
journalist. But where a journalist enters the field of politics
especially for an elective office vying for or on a political party
ticket, it is a possible conclusion that their objectivity,
impartiality and credibility are lost if they return to the practice
of journalism after an attempt at politics. His previous journalistic
work prior to going into politics becomes suspect. If he was a feral
critic of the ruling party, the public will view his criticism as a
way of getting urgent attention and attraction from the party to
bring him on board, and it is even more obvious the other way round
that his positive views and comments about the incumbent were for his
desire to achieve a later political goal.
So the journalist opting to enter politics is faced with this quandary
which distinguishes public view of journalists becoming politicians
in comparison to other professionals doing same. How do you regain
your objectivity, impartiality, fairness, and unbiased pedigree
required for the practice of journalism after a political career or
even an attempt at it? How do you get the public to understand that
you will not betray their interest for the second time? How do you
expect the public to understand your criticism of the incumbent City
Mayor/ MP you contested against?
Researching this article has given me a better understanding of the much touted
description given to journalism—The Fourth Estate. It is called the
fourth estate because it is entirely removed from the regular organs
of government, intra or inter-political party gymnastics, and it is
supposed to serve as a check on the other organs, in the public
interest. This is why the media need independent minds who do not
seek party or political interests. While franchise remains the
constitutional right of every citizen of this country, the basic
tenets of journalism requires professional neutrality of
practitioners who must note that practitioner seeking to enter the
realm of competitive politicking must first of all give due
consideration to the pursuit of a political career and their
relationship with the Fourth Estate. I am sure it was in anticipation
of this migration of practitioners from journalism to politics that
Umaru Fofana, the SLAJ President, asked a critical question which was
left unanswered in the last SLAJ AGM: what becomes of those SLAJ
members pursuing or entering other vocations like politics?
I think we should be urgently searching out answer[s] to this most
critical question in an era in the country’s history when
journalists have become the newest aspirants for political party
symbols ahead of the November polls. They have abandoned their pens
and microphones for political greener pastures all in the name of
change of vocation. In my view the current trend has the potential of
reducing journalists to mere political spin doctors using the Fourth
Estate outside the pale of public interest to achieve surreptitious
political goals. As colleagues aspiring for political offices, the
only hope we have in you “political journalists” lies in the
fulfilment of the change you have promised in your desperation to
secure political party symbols and public endorsement of your
aspirations.
The critical point in all of this is the continuation of the media career
of these journalists who will miss out or have missed out on the
award of political party symbols to contest for mayoral and
parliamentary offices. An attempt at returning to the practice of
journalism creates a situation similar to a former Manchester United
Player becoming a match official/referee in a match between
Manchester United and Arsenal; even where he makes the right decision
in favour of Man U the other side will refer to his past membership
of the other club. The other way; if he decides rightly against his
former team, Man U fans would take it that he's biased against his
former club because he was not given the captain band while a player
there.
This is the dilemma a journalist will definitely face after a political
career with his colleagues never trusting him. The frequency of the
practice of journalists entering politic has the potential of
weakening the strength of the Fourth Estate in Sierra Leone. This is
so because the public is tempted to view journalists as promoters of
political initiatives in their desperate desires to later become
Member of Parliament or City Mayor. This is why retired players do
not become referees because of their sentimental attachment to their
former clubs and public recognition of this blatant fact.
(c) Politico 11/09/12
