When the newsroom is blind, the community is in darkness

Full report

By Santo Ojok
There is a dangerous moment in journalism. It is not when the cameras are off, or when the microphone fails. It is when the blinds are drawn inside the newsroom itself.

When the blinds are in the newsroom, the journalist can no longer see the people. He only sees the politician who pays for airtime. When the blinds are in the newsroom, the editor no longer asks "Is this true?" He asks "Who will be annoyed if we air this?"

I have seen these blinds.

They come in different fabrics. Sometimes they are woven from tribal loyalty - "He is our son from Lango, do not report his corruption." Sometimes they are stitched from money - a brown envelope slides across the desk and a community story about bad roads, poor school infrastructure and criminality within the community is killed because no one can pay for that story to be run.Sometimes the blinds are political - "We are opposition media, we cannot show this government program working."

In deed, when the blinds are in the newsroom, the public is left in darkness.

The purpose of journalism was never to be loved by the powerful. It was to be a window. A window that lets light into government offices, and lets the cry of a Primary Seven child in a remote school in Apac, Alebtong or Karenga reach the national budget.

But a window with blinds is just a wall with decoration.

This is my submission: Let us tear down the blinds.

Let the newsroom be blind to tribe, but have perfect vision for truth. Let it be blind to bribes, but have perfect vision for justice. Let it be blind to political colours, but have perfect vision for the people of Lango and Uganda.

If our newsroom has windows, let them be open. If we have lights, let them shine on all sides.

Because when the blinds are in the newsroom, it is not the journalist who is blind. It is the whole society.

The author is a journalist and a digital content creator.
ojoksanto158@gmail.com