Misa-Malawi elections: Breathe life into journalism

Every profession has a parent, and the media belongs to journalism. The rest are byproducts of  journalism in as far as the media family is concerned.

Journalism First
 Just like any other industry, journalism is dynamic. This dynamism comes with it valuations and devaluations that are either nutritious to the journalism profession or a parasite to this parent of the media.
We cannot afford to ignore putting journalism first in our midst as a parent of what we call the media family. It’s time passion, commitment and dedication to journalism triumphs. The fourth coming MISA polls accord media practitioners a fresh chance to underline the purpose and meaning of journalism against its by products. The choice is ours, either journalists choose to be orphans by burying mother journalism or become their own rebels. Journalism ought to be embraced, more so at this point in time when various factors are threatening this mother profession of integrity.
It is not easy to stand out and objectively lead this crusade of journalism first. This crusade ought to build it’s strength, hope and firmness in individual journalists. We are all journalists first hence underlining that significance without diluting the profile of our mother journalism.
Whilst the media family basks in its random parameters of power and influence due to various visible and invisible forces of dynamism, journalism needs us all to grip on its cycle in the face of control vs co-dependency.
Our diverse ideologies are a healthy prevalence as they reinforce functions of our strategies whilst enabling us all to point out implications of the ordinary and the extraordinary.
The MISA 2017 relay race is model worth reflecting on. There’s so much told in the unsaid. There’s so much rhetoric overshadowing reality. Yes, there seems to be a great deal of style attempting to eclipse substance.
The question ought to be, how do we manage to objectively champion the MISA if we opt to betray journalism as a prime common denominator of the media family? Let’s not create confusion about boundaries created by byproducts of journalism. Journalism needs all the discipline it deserves and it cannot be relegated to being a subsidiary of its shadows.
Journalism is rich hence it’s compatibility with other vocational disciplines. The time is now ladies and gentlemen to tactically uplift both strategic and operational levels of the MISA.
With diverse expertise, let us ably take the MISA 2017 and beyond with both short and long term practical approaches that uplift then potential, add value, meaning & purpose, carry impact and cultivates best practices.
Let us be bold to broadly scrutinise macro and micro technicalities that divide scepticism against certainty. Our objectives are quantifiable and streamlined to achieve a specific positioning that will transcend the mission of MISA for us all.
Let us always remember the core objective of MISA -to achieve media freedom and free expression for all as an essential part of strengthening democracy. And MISA’s mission rightly stipulates that it aims to create a media environment that is led by a vibrant, professional and participatory media sector.
In fact, MISA was hatched against a background of violations against media, harassment of journalists and restrictions on citizens’ rights to free expression by governments in the Southern African region. Unfortunately, these elements are still prevailing today and it requires those of us in the journalism profession to appreciate this gravity in order to register progress. The moment we chose to undermine our role, that will be a sad moment for journalism because it is you that journalism needs the most in this crusade. Let’s join our hands together now than ever before to guard against our continously endangered profession. It is no one else but you and me who can capably save journalism from predators come next month.
The moment we convert MISA leadership into a sheep, definitely wolves will be all over to devour us and journalism will be at a worst loss.
Time to uplift the relevance of journalism in the media family is now.
  • The author is Vice President of Bwaila Media Club, an association of central region based media practitioners 

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Avinty
6 years ago

vote Teresa

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