TONOTA - Some Tonota residents have described media workers as heartless ambulance chasers who pursue tragic stories for headline news.
During a kgotla meeting addressed by the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Mrs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, the residetns accussed the news media of focusing on sensational news without regard for the truth.
Journalists do not take peoples feelings into consideration when reporting, Mr Justice Mogoosi, one of the residents, said. I wonder if at journalism school they are taught that they are the only ones with rights and people do not have rights.
Mr Mogorosi said it appeared as if journalists were not patrotic and did not take into consideration issues that could have a negative impact on Botswana.
Mr Esely Beregane, another resident, said journalists hardly ever reported the good things that people did.
Its hurting to be a leader who is only written about when something is amiss but when you have done well nothing will come out in the papers, he said.
Though he welcomed the introduction of a code of ethics , Mr Beregane said she wondered what would happen to those already hard done by the news media.
However, Mr Motlhware Bogatsu came in the defence of journalists. He applauded them for the good work they had and were still doing in Botswana.
Journalism has improved over the years and we are able to get information in time and on issues that affect us as Batswana, he said.
Recently there was a lot of talk about privatisation and a lot of us were thinking that Members of Parliament disagreed with privatisation but because of the media we were able to know more.
Mr Motlhware said the introduction of a code of ethics would improve reporting because it guided journalists.
On other issues, the residents complained of the long queues old age pensioners endured to claim their pension. They also said the envisaged introduction of community radio stations should be put on hold as it was still early. In response, Mrs Venson-Moitoi promised to take their concerns into consideration.
She said she hoped that the code of ethics would help regulate journalism in Botswana as it was a media workers creation.
Mrs Venson-Moitoi advised pensioners to claim their money on other days not only on pay day.
