Unity is a powerful word. When put into action, it becomes insurmountable. The first book in the Christian bible documents a story that thoroughly epitomized the power of unity in action and displayed the bleakness of hope in a place where disunity thrives.
The earliest men God created thought to make a name for themselves by building a tower that would reach the highest heaven. God wanted them to fill the face of the earth, but they formed an accord against the will of God.
They were destined to achieve their aim until God removed the one thing that united them— One Language.
No long explanation to it, it is as simple as it sounds: in a place where unity exists, nothing is unachievable.
Nigeria has still not risen from her shambles. Economy-crippling corruption, damning acts against fundamental human rights and gross violation of the principle of the rule of law are the order of the day. We are inflicted with unaccountable leaders—caught in the act, yet many times still wriggling free from the wrath of the law.
Better days ahead? It’s hard to convince the poor masses that we are still on the road that leads to it. How do you expect them to understand it when they are battered, in their cribs, to emaciation?
The media should be the watchdog of the government. However, what we have currently is the kind that sleeps on duty; the kind that takes bribes from the robber and sniffs the gates open. The Press as the Fourth Estate should be the defender of human rights, an advocator for democracy. Ironically, we are at the mercy of Brand Managers and Public Relations experts disguising themselves as Journalists.
The role of the media in achieving a sane society cannot be overemphasized. Information moves people to action, knowledge is powerful. If you don’t agree with me, read more about the story of Adolf Hitler.
Why would anyone make a living as a Fact-Checker? Why is there a need for the job role? Simple! Fake News are a bane to the society. Fake news has the potential of wreaking havoc and causing civil unrest.
If fake news can make such negative impacts, constructive journalism can make our lives better. Stop killing beautiful opinion articles for a share of the national cake. Stop pumping negativity into the news cycle to retain the attention of ignoramuses.
As media practitioners, you owe the nation unbiased news and stories that are centered around creating solutions and not celebrating flaws. You owe it to posterity.
The government are lagging in their responsibilities and the masses do not know what next, if the media joins the mess won’t we be uniting against ourselves?
Note:
This article was written by Smart Olawale and was first published by Primus Media Magazine.
