17 Oct 2018

Investigative journalists have been challenged to be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

Speaking at the African Union Southern Africa Regional Office (AU-SARO) training on reporting corruption through investigative journalism in Johannesburg, South Africa recently, Frayintermedia managing director Paula Fray said the media used to trade in attention but trust was now the new currency in the world of fake news.

Ms Fray therefore advised journalists to seek truth, fact check information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error when reporting.

She said a bit hyped up word could destroy the credibility of a story. Ms Fray warned journalists however that truth alone was not enough defence in a defamation case if it was not linked to the public interest.

Ms Fray cautioned investigative journalists to trust sources but verify the facts they were given and learn to question the motive of their sources of information.

Ms Fray also challenged journalists to be free of obligation to any interest than the public’s right to know and abide by the same high standards to which they hold others to.

“Take a good look at your own motives before investigating others. If the story is not more important for others than it is for you, you probably shouldn’t be doing it,” she said.

She urged journalists to turn down gifts, favours, free travel, and special treatment if they could compromise their professional integrity. She warned that a compromised journalist would not ask for accountability from others.

During the story-based discussions, it came to light that some people, especially political elites facing corruption cases could offer to pay some journalists with the aim to skew public perception so that if convicted, members of the public would still labour under the impression that they were only being purged by those in power for reasons other than those in the public interest.

It was also revealed that some unscrupulous journalists were in the habit of gathering information about some members of the public who were being investigated for corruption with a view to sell to them or else threaten to publish it.

Some media houses were also accused of turning a blind eye to corruption cases involving some sources they did business with for fear of losing the same.

Ms Fray, however, warned journalists to consider the opportunity cost of corruption, adding they had a duty to their nations, “We all end up paying for the consequences of corruption in one way or another through high tax rates, poor services among others, you are citizens first and journalists last,” she said.

She explained that a lot of money earned through corruption was being transfered to foreign accounts where it was spent, away from prying eyes.

The money, she further explained, would develop other countries at the expense of Africa, in the process.

On other issues, she urged media houses to find ways to move towards on-line platforms, adding that was where the world was going. She also encouraged media houses to use the right matrix of news that fostered engagement with the public.

She said advertising revenues declined whereas audience revenues increased. She argued that news audiences nowadays expected to be engaged as members of the community, to have rich content experiences that offered solutions to problems.

Ms Fray also advised media houses to come up with social media strategies, adding that research has revealed that 48 per cent of men and 55 of women used social media to get news.

She said people looked for easy to consume news within a busy work environment, thus advised media houses to use data to drive growth.

The regional director of UNECA Southern Africa Regional Office Professor Said Adejumobi for his part encouraged journalists to report on corruption and insist on self-restraint and ethical leadership from those in public office without fear or favour. 

Prof. Adejumobi said there was generally an accountability deficit in public office across the African continent.

Prof. Adejumobi said the continent lost US$50 billion every year through organised criminal syndicates, illicit financial flows. He thus advised journalists to educate themselves on issues of finance such as revenue reports to be able to report effectively on corruption. 

Prof. Adejumobi decried that power was being over celebrated across Africa and challenged the journalists to de-mystify it. He said the values the media put out to the public had a critical role to play in the society.

“Celebrate people who are doing something innovative in our society, not shenanigans, criminals with ill-gotten wealth,” he said. ENDS