By Alusine Fullah

The few years I have spent in the Fourth Estate World I have seen, felt and smelt huge biases in the way they (journalists) report/ broadcast their news/ articles. Most journalism today is biased in the sense that it supports one political approach over another. For instance, newspapers around town toady can now be classified as conservative, neutral or liberal pro political or anti-political on content analyses of their editorials and commentaries. Political affiliation has gone blind and dumb to a greater extent that we consider truth to be false and falsity to be true. Journalists have totally miss concept the differences between journalism and public relations. I wish I had time I would have diluted the differences between them. But away that is another menu for my next edition.

This persistent biased journalism has eroded the quality of political discuss because it serves mostly to divide public opinion and force conservatives and liberals to their respective extremes of the political spectrum. More subtle is agenda-setting, decision-making by broadcast journalists about the direction of reporting.

Contrary to the theory of democracy, censorship is still exercised over what can be aired or written. Concerns about the protection of rights, national security, and cultural integrity all have a strong influence over what is and is not published. Most press coverage of the government comes from information supplied by the government itself, giving them control over what is disclosed.

Of all the brag brag around (every day I hear them say: I AM A JOURNALIST), they still LACK the power and willingness to exert extra energy to dig out hidden information. And when one journalist tries to dig out some hidden information another journalist from nowhere will just call and say: Or man na me interest dan day oo. Sometimes I smile while sometimes I feel dejected of this new theory/ practice in our profession, journalism. The external editors have more influence than the internal. Overnight public relations are constantly ruling/ controlling the news content. Why?

Usually internal indictors wait for information and confirmation from the so-called external editors. Reporters/ editors may be rather passive in this sense. Instead of routinely and independently following and checking on politicians or corruptive issues in society, reporters/ journalists ONLY investigate or report issues that favour their political, tribal, regional and economic desire. What a field!! Media poverty has consumed journalism, and it produced bouncing baby boy: public relations. News framing is everywhere today. That is framing the truth.

If the news does not wet their political and tribal appetite, they will focus on entertainment rather than analysing and reporting the real content of it. In their radio stations, they will play music from January to December. This is simply because the news around town does not favour them.