Thabo Mongoato
My Opinion
The role of the media is to inform, educate and entertain. The media must not yield to the powers that be and allow itself to be used and abused by those who hold powers that be to misinform the very public it is supposed to protect. Most of the time you find that the media does the exact opposite of these three values mentioned above.
One of the most under looked areas of journalism today is investigative journalism. Here in South Africa we need lion hearted journalists to dig deep on stories of human interest and corruption. Our country is the skunk of the world due to the laughable state we find ourselves in. We allow ourselves to be “passive citizens instead of being active citizens,” as one Dr Mamphele Ramphele said not so long ago during her speech at the Daily Dispatch dialogues. We need to rouse a sense of responsibility among those who hold high offices. We have allowed ourselves to be held at ransom by our own employees (basically the government are employed by us to serve us not the other way around). Investigative journalism holds the key to unlocking the steel doors of corruption and lawlessness in this country, our beloved country. We have become pitiful beggars. This reminds me of the Zen parable about the man who searched for the fire with a lighted candle. We have allowed the poor to suffer in silence even though we are their voices, we are their light. Intellectual debate has diminished. I say to all investigative journalists out there unite and keep the good work you are doing out there you hold the key.
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