Journalists of today must uphold ethics
WE were discussing the story of Nat Nakasa, the South African journalist who committed suicide in the US and whose remains will be returned to South Africa very soon. He is one of the journalists who inspired many souls and made a significant contribution to the political arena in this country.
I was shocked to hear that his trip to the US was sponsored by the CIA. That proved that the journalists of that era were very intelligent, effective and independent thinkers, and during those years there was no freedom of the press.
The phrase, "the pen is mightier than a sword", proved to be relevant at the time because print journalism was giving people the right direction to follow.
As result of that many people were inspired by their writings.
During that time the journalists were writing for an objective of promoting that they believed was good and destroying what they believed was evil for the society.
Many journalist were incarcerated or others killed by the apartheid government for writing the truth.
Look at what is happening in Egypt today – journalist are in prison for covering the truth. What I also like about the journalists of Nakasa's era was they wrote what they believed would rectify the abnormal thinking, they stuck to the basics, and maintained a code and conduct. My questions to the journalist of today are:
- Is the pen still mightier than the sword?
- Are we writing to enlighten or to destroy the mind?
- Are we intelligent enough to educate the society?
- Are we independent thinkers?
- Do we promote what is good or destroy what is evil for the society?
- Are we writing for the sales or not for objectivity?
- Do we still live within the code of conduct and ethics of a good journalism?
I hope the Nakasa story will inspire many old and upcoming journalists.
Long live the spirit of Nat Nakasa.
Mzwandile Pepe Nkomombini, community activist, Zwide, Port Elizabeth
