They say that journalists are heartless people when they come face-to-face with tragic events. Instead of rushing to help victims – of say, an accident- they rush for their cameras.This is what has come to define the media, especially the so-called leaders of the industry. Dramatics and exaggeration have taken centre stage as the giants try to outdo each other to increase circulation.Objectivity, fairness and the drive to make this a better world has been thrown to the dogs, and so has the profession. And yet, the big boys of the industry with their holier-than-thou attitudes never cease to preach ethos of journalism to third world countries, pointing patronising fingers at everything that does not meet their inspection standards.But where does someone who does know how to keep his own house in order get the moral authority to preach what he does not practice?. As the old adage goes; when you point a finger, three are pointing in your direction, literally. It is time for Africa to tell its own story and not wait for some self-labeled ‘experts’ to poison international opinion.Good old fashioned integrity that was the hallmark of a hitherto respected trade, has given way to greed, vested interests and outright fibs. It’s time to abandon the bandwagon of those who think they know better than us; we know which side of our bread is buttered.Recent scandals that have rocked media giants, among them the BBC with its Jimmy Savile scandal and Rupert Murdoch’s shenanigans , to name but a few, should serve as an example to us players in the ‘little league’; no one knows what’s best for you other than you.
