Journalists! Let’s go back to ethics

LET us start with some tough love: You are journalists, not judges. You are storytellers, not the final chapter.

So why do some of you insist on behaving like the unofficial election commission, fortune tellers with a microphone or worse agents of chaos with deadlines?

Election season seems to awaken a strange fever in parts of the media, a condition known as poll-ititis: the uncontrollable urge to publish every opinion poll from “mysterious” sources with more opinions than credentials.

One minute, a poll shows Candidate A leading with 137 per cent support (impressive, considering the laws of math), the next, Candidate B is suddenly “guaranteed” a landslide according to a survey conducted among 12 people and a goat.

Come on, let us be clear: The only body with the legal mandate to regulate, oversee and officially announce election results is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Not a radio host. Not a TV panelist who shouts the loudest. Opinion polls are fine, when done professionally, transparently and by credible institutions. But these shadowy polls churned out with the accuracy of weather forecasts from 1912?

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They are misleading, polarising and frankly, sometimes laughable. Dear journalists, we need to talk about something even more important: ethics. Remember those? Dust off your journalism codes.

You are not campaign managers. You are not social media warriors in disguise. Stop publishing one-sided political views without context. Stop framing the news to favour Party A while throwing Party B under the bus and vice versa. If you must broadcast bias, kindly change careers.

There is a lucrative future in spin doctoring. In the delicate ballet of democracy, the media is the orchestra. If you hit the wrong notes, the whole performance falters. That means reporting fairly, calmly and most importantly, with patriotism. Elections are not street fights. They are not Twitter wars.

They are not reality TV drama (even though some candidates will behave like they are auditioning for one). Elections are the heartbeat of a nation and you, dear journalist, have your hand on the mic. Before the elections, report responsibly.

During the elections, report truthfully. After the elections, report peacefully. Preach peace. Promote tolerance. Remind people that disagreeing on politics is not a license for hatred. If your story inflames tensions more than it informs minds, it is not a story, it is a spark and in this political dry season, sparks burn fast.

Yes, clicks are nice. Ratings are lovely. But peace? Peace is priceless. It is not about being neutral for the sake of it, it is about being principled. It is about understanding that your words carry weight, your broadcasts shape narratives and your silence or noise can cost lives.

So, to all anchors, editors, reporters, bloggers and those irresistible social media commentators: Let us not be the fuel to electoral fire. Let us not play referee while wearing one team’s jersey. Let us not promote confusion dressed up as “exclusive insights.” You are not judges. You are not prophets. You are the press.

Act accordingly. And remember, after the ballots are counted and the dust settles, we still have to live together. We all need one another and that is to say journalists, voters, politicians, everyone.

So let your coverage be the bridge, not the battleground. Now go forth, report the facts and leave the predictions to the meteorologists.