Ethics and Malawian Newspapers

Ethics and Malawian newspapers

By Idriss Ali Nassah

As elsewhere on the African continent, Malawi has made efforts over the past decade to develop a Western-style media that would serve to enhance the country’s young democracy. However, prospects that the Malawian newspaper is in a position to do that look grim. Much of this grim outlook can be attributed to the quality of newspaper journalism. It is commonplace to hear public utterances on journalists in disparaging remarks as biased, unprofessional, unethical and ignorant.

The World Bank estimated that Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and the media face a number of constraints (http://www.pressreference.com/Ky-Ma/Malawi.html). My study will focus on the constraints of the country’s only two national daily newspapers, The Daily Times and The Nation, both owned by families with strong political ties.

How ethical are journalists in Malawi and what effect does ownership has on this question? Interestingly, what journalists in America debate as matters of ethics is everyday occurrence in Malawi without anyone ever raising concern. The question of free food for journalists, for example. Nathan Kelly posted this question http://groups.poynter.org/members/blog_view.asp?id=190115&post=64848.

“During press conferences, especially those involving sports, journalists are offered food”, Kelly wrote. “Why is food, sometimes a buffet, offered and what are those putting on the conference expecting in return? Does the food subconsciously cause us to be nicer while reporting because we’re full of sandwiches and cookies, even though we try to remain professional?”

In Malawi, the absence of free food at any media event would cause journalists to be nastier in their reporting. And to ensure coverage, it is common practice for journalists to receive transport disbursements and envelopes containing wads of money from companies and organizers of media events. It is a known fact that at some events were no envelopes were distributed to journalists, the reporters became agitated and demanded “allowances” or else there would be no coverage.

The blame can be placed on the owners, not the reporters, because reporters in Malawi receive salaries that are generally a cruel joke.

And then there is the problem of sources planting stories via reporters. This is damaging to the print media but these sources often make these reporters offers they can’t refuse. Perhaps Malawi journalism needs a Jason Blair type of scandal to wake from this huge ethical lapse. If you need reminding, Blair was a young reporter who shook the media when it was discovered that his fabricated stories had found their way into the New York Times. In a remarkable chain of events, the Times published an unprecedented 14,420-word explanation (by its count) on May 11, 2003, with Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd leaving in its wake. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/new-york-times-media five/story.aspx?guid=%7BF8886DFF-921E-4D52-A2C6-4D5634AFBC36%7D&dist=msr_20.

After that, fair or not, Arthur Sulzberger Jr.'s New York Times became the poster child for everything that was wrong about journalism, specifically its arrogance, its ethical lapses and its apparent inability to police itself.

Greg Mitchell, the editor of Editor & Publisher, posited: "Since the Jayson Blair case broke, many more, although still not enough, newspapers have done or some of these things: 1) expanded their corrections sections; 2) utilized plagiarism-checking programs; 3) formalized their ethics policies; 4) been more forthright in owning up to certain issues, either via an editor's column or an ombudsman."

It was reported on http://community.marketwatch.com/newsjunkie that after the Blair/Miller fiasco, The New York Times took steps to position itself as one of the most credible news organizations in the world, and its quality and depth of its reporting improved.

Malawi is yet to witness a reporter or editor who resigns as a result of ethical lapses. This is largely because such type of misconduct is, if not openly encouraged, them definitely tolerated. Perhaps that will soon change. In neighboring Zimbabwe in February 2000, Andy Moyse, the acting editor of The Standard, a Zimbabwe weekly newspaper, resigned in disgrace after admitting that the newspaper had written a false report (www.globaljournalist.org/stories/2000/09/01/africas-fight-for-ethics/).
Moyse, publisher Clive Wilson and reporter Chengetai Zvauya were found guilty, holding them responsible for reporting the allegations, which turned out to be false. The journalists were fined thousands of US dollars for the offense.

There is no consensus among Africa’s media as to whether the government, or the press itself, should be responsible for ensuring an ethical media.. Veteran Kenyan journalist Philip Ochieng also condemns what he called the “gutter press” for unprofessional conduct, and says it justifies the government’s insistence on regulating the media.

Africa’s media have grown tremendously in the past three decades and need to adhere strictly to professional ethics. Malawi’s newspapers need to play a leading role in their own regulation. That responsibility to ensure an ethical media should start with the owners and management of newspapers.