The touchstone some people love-hate

PEOPLE love it individually and collectively with a single heart, and might lay down their lives were that ultimate price to become necessary to defend the three-way mirror of society. The obvious subject in point here is, of course, the Press, a collective term for journalists and media by means of which they ply their trade.

In a previous article on Press freedom published in these same columns, this communicologist suggested that if the tribe of journalists did not exist at all the world would grind to a halt, or stand still — the assertion suggesting in both its literal and metaphorical forms that the Press, in particular its freedom, is the touchstone of democracy, human decency and national development.

It was no doubt in recognition of the all important roles played by the Press in human history that a group of African journalists at a seminar sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in Namibia in 1991 came up with the so — called Windhoek Declaration on press freedom — a move that would in 1993 prompt the United Nations General Assembly in New York City to come up with a declaration that set May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, or just Press Freedom Day.

That milestone move also exhorted governments around the globe to uphold and respect free expression.

In its three dimensional roles, the press serves as a headlamp to illuminate the way forward for a government and its people to avoid pitfalls that might lie ahead and hinder development initiatives to improve the lives of the people.

Concomitant with that role the Press mobilises people in the implementation of policy initiatives by the state for the betterment of a nation’s welfare.

Secondly, the Press is a rear-view mirror, enabling a government and its people to look back on development policy implementation so that any banks left behind in the field ploughed are eliminated to prevent weeds growing and choking young crops to death.

So far, it can be said with equanimity that the Press around the globe has continued indefatigably to consummate that central role.

But, tragically, facade-democracies have sprung up around the world, like banks left behind in a field by errant spans of oxen, to be in the same stable as tyrannical regimes where the work of journalists is at best loved-hated and at worst viewed as anathema by dictators who wish that only the master’s voice enters the ears of the people who are cowered and ruled.

Newspaper columns and radio and television screens are these days continually replete with reports about journalists being arrested, detained or imprisoned and, in extreme cases killed, for exposing in their reportages atrocities that those in power wish to have been kept under wraps for the simple reason that the exposures have the potential to make the rulers unpopular with the general public.

Africa has its own share of political leaders who observe and pay lip service to the declaration on press freedom but rear on their statutes draconian laws that make journalists cautiously tread as they ply their trade lest they trample on the toes of national or host governments and find themselves languishing behind bars.

But luckily — and luckily, indeed — Zimbabwe is not counted among the countries where journalists wish they had chosen a safer career, and so it is thumbs up to our government in this regard.

Foster Dongozi, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, commented just as much this week when asked by this writer for his view on the state of Press freedom in Zimbabwe. But the ZUJ SG stated emphatically that while Zimbabwe cannot be counted with countries where journalists are harassed and imprisoned, May 3 should be a day for both celebrating press freedom and reflecting on what else needs to be done to improve the operational environment for journalists to carry on with their noble profession unscathed.

For instance, critical stakeholders such as the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary might wish continually to insure collectively that access to information by journalists is accorded and guaranteed so that any obstacles that might hinder the smooth operations of the press as the touchstone of democracy, political maturation and national development are liquidated for the good of our nation as a whole.

In the third dimensional role of the press, a nation as a whole re-examines itself in the mirror to discover how it has fared in all aspects of national development.

Now it is in this role of the mirror where in our country some leaders have often kicked a stink.

They gaze into the mirror to discover if the make-up they first wore when stepping into the political stardom is intact in order for the glitter to continue to endear the leaders to their legions of supporters, the voters.

But when their eyes look smack at ugly pimples, even horns that now disfigure their looks in the eyes of the public, the wanton reaction of the enraged leaders is to break the mirror to smithereens for not portraying anticipated beauty, while blaming the hand holding the mirror, implying that those growths should have been concealed from the public in the first place.

But be that as it may, journalists should not be deterred by any intimidation or threats from people with a penchant for their wrongs to be covered up because the press has a national duty to shine the light on any hidden filth in society for a clean up by those responsible to take place.

In all fairness, it must be also admitted that some albeit a few, among the journalism fraternity have become constipated on press freedom in our country to the extent of joining forces that work for regime change in order to end land reform as an integral part of the armed struggle to give that all-important national asset, and all of it, back to our people as an empowerment tool for self — as well as national emancipation socially and economically.

Needless to say, this pen humbly but strongly believes that unadulterated patriotism should of necessity inform our journalism.

Also, as eyes and ears of the general public on the one side of the political isle, and of the powers that be on the other, Zimbabwean journalists should weigh into the problem of current cash shortages in the country to help end the problem which does not only cause frustration to the general public, but has a negative effect on the image of our country abroad.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has, for instance, blamed the scarcity of cash on business enterprises hoarding the money instead of banking it for the public to access it.

But — who knows — political mischief-makers might or might not, be behind this challenge, in view of the general elections next year to try to make the government and its ruling party unpopular in the eyes of the general public.

Workers know exactly what is happening and it must be in their national interest to provide information to the journalists as ears also of the Government so that those enemies of the people and of the State are exposed and dealt with.

The shortage of cash does not only affect the general public; it has a boomerang effect on social health and economic development as a whole.

Thus, the Press has a gargantuan role to play for the success our nation, but it can only succeed in this role with support and goodwill of all patriots.