Journalists cautioned against hate messages By Correspondent

Journalists in the country have been cautioned against the spread of hate messages that place the country’s development at risk.

Speaking late last week in Dodoma, Depont Ntererwa the Media Manager from Search for Common Ground that is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said more often than not, members of the press tend to unknowingly ‘play music and programs that spread hate messages.’

“The impact to society is tremendous,” he warned.

Ntererwa was speaking at a training session on Conflict Sensitive Reporting offered to at least 34 journalists from 9 community radios and was conducted by facilitators from UNESCO.

“The Media is very influential and most all political leaders are aware of this power and seek to abuse it,” he said noting that it is then paramount that “…journalists think very carefully about what they publicise,” he again cautioned.

In another note, Ntererwa reminded journalists that their safety lays entirely on their own hands and that be the case, then they ought to be wary of ‘unstable areas’ especially when covering conflict and other crisis.

“A journalist is better alive than dead,” he said “…so make sure you pay attention to safety issues,” Ntererwa urged the media fraternity.

Presenting a topic on conflict resolution, veteran journalist and facilitator from Search for Common Ground Zanzibar Ali Sultan, also cautioned members of the press over volatile conflict situations saying safety is first.

However he also bid the press to treat parties in conflict equally and not to be biased towards anyone because so doing may very well agitate the other group further complicating the situation.

“Keep a low profile whenever covering conflict stories” he advised, “…do not be rigid, you must adopt to the changing environment around you,” Ali Sultan said.

Ussia Ledama, Information Officer for the UN raised concerns over the escalating rate of conflicts between herdsmen and peasants in the country, saying the media has a central role to play in the matter, to educate the communities in question on how they can best cohabit peacefully.

Journalists were reminded that media personnel must abide to their profession’s code of ethics with repeated caution over the dangers of unbalanced news.

The training is part of ongoing UNESCO supported Democratic Empowerment Project aimed at enhancing democracy and ensuring free and fair elections among other things.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN