Tell as is, don’t editorialize news

Tell as is, don’t editorialize news

By MUSYOKA NGUI

Editorializing news is giving a reporter’s opinion when conveying the stories journalists cover in the field.

Apart from the traditional 5Ws and H, journalist should go ahead and cover news in a day two journalism style. This includes asking the sources: so what? Then what? Why now? Sometimes news data fly around and readers don’t make sense of the numbers, figures and statements issued by interested news sources.

Another way of making the audience understand the news better in an objective way is fact checking the sources. When journalists go to cover news at public places, lies will be told. Politicians, corporates, religious leaders, wananchi, all tell lies. When the event is live, the reporter will have to do a real-time fact check. Or their editor can assist in giving a background information about a certain subject being covered by the source.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Table reports in excerpts, in full copies and unedited ones depending on the availability of space and time. A slippery source will slide and confuse the audience if you don’t do your homework well.

A reporter should be well read. Information should be on their fingertips.  Sometimes news sources lecture journalists and this makes a big mockery of the profession. When the subject being discussed is about economics, have facts ready. The facts ought to be from credible sources. Sources that can be verified. When you quote unauthoritative source, you become gutter press.

Offering space and airtime to opposing sources, as I said in my earlier post, is the beauty of media freedom. Publish all humanely possible angles to a story. Have a disclaimer that some concerned sources where reached and didn’t offer a comment. Didn’t return a reply.

Back to editorializing news. This is a lazy way to convey news. Opinions are like asses, everyone have theirs. Facts are facts. They don’t depend on your opinion even if its informed opinion. To err is human. When you go wrong in your script, be humble enough to correct your piece. Better still, apologize to affected parties because the fact that your news circulated can be enough to injure the dignity of the source.

Maintain a good news sources contacts. There are dry days. These sources will provide leads that you can follow.

Keep them honest. The three arms of government need a robust forth estate that checks them. Above all, check yourself. Listen to your colleagues and the publics.