Last week was filled with grief, not only in Uganda but globally. The demise of the youngest monarch in history attracted immense public attention. The situation became particularly tense at the moment of announcement. In Uganda, for instance, the news first circulated on social media, broken by a prominent blogger.
Like wildfire, within minutes, everyone with a keyboard and a phone started posting with absolute authority, until the traditional media — including newspapers, radio stations and television — eventually took to their own social media pages to announce the passing of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the King of Tooro.
Amidst the speculation, official communication was shared by the Kingdom’s Prime Minister, raising some hope and asking the public to pray for the King, stating that he was in a critically frail condition. Surprisingly, many credible media houses continued to report the Omukama’s passing with certainty. This violates media ethics and reporting standards on many fronts.
In this case, the Kingdom of Tooro was the principal authority mandated to communicate the demise of the King. Even if it took them another 24 hours, no media house should have reported the news as fact. A critical review of how media houses reported the Omukama’s demise reveals avoidable lapses driven simply by the pressure to “break the story first” syndrome.
The democratization of the media has created unnecessary competition between traditional media and citizen journalists. This partly explains the lapses. Traditional media has almost been forced to ride on the unfiltered liberty enjoyed by citizen journalists like bloggers. This has seamlessly displaced the role of credible authorities in news gathering and reporting.
For instance, to the best of my knowledge, the first blogger who reported the Omukama’s demise became the prime source for everyone, including some traditional media houses. Even if what he was reporting was true, few appreciate the consequences if what he was reporting had turned out to be false. Because no ethical standards guide such sensitive reporting by bloggers, they can easily fuel public anxiety and distress.
But most importantly, traditional media should do better because, unlike bloggers, it is expected to adhere to professional ethical standards. Traditional media is not barred from reporting speculation, provided a disclaimer is made. Nothing stops a newspaper, radio or TV station from reporting unverified news. However, even where that is the case, efforts must be made to reach the official source for confirmation.
The competition should not be about who breaks the story first, but about who gives the story facts and breadth of coverage. News consumers can tell the difference. That is why a consumer may see a news story on station X and choose to ignore it, waiting to get it from station Y whose credibility they trust.
The need for blogger associations to map and train influential bloggers with huge followings is paramount. This will help prominent bloggers improve their skills in curating news stories before breaking them. They need to be reminded of the basics of reporting standards to avoid the moral and legal implications that may arise from carelessness.
Furthermore, in this era where information is widespread, all entities including Kingdoms need to streamline their communication. Enforcing communication protocols is inevitable; otherwise, if you cannot do so, other people will be forced to communicate — both factual and false — on your behalf. The communication teams of traditional institutions must be on top of their game to counter unofficial communication that may otherwise put the institution in disrepute.
Such teams should also sensitize the public on how to carefully handle all communications associated with traditional leaders. The British monarchy has succeeded in this and I remember vividly, following the passing of the Queen, the official communication from Buckingham Palace succinctly stated that she had “died peacefully.” This precision is not a privilege everyone gets, save for monarchs.
I have argued consistently that the royalty of monarchs is revealed not only in how they live, but also in the respect with which their life or demise should be handled and covered, especially by the media.
The writer, Mr. Badru Walusansa, is a Socio-Political Analyst
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