Journalist not blackmailers

Sierra Express Media seemed boggled over critics’ illustration of disappointments on the manner in which a good number of journalists blackmail public officials, figures and most shoddier, Sierra Leone in general.

Surveys conducted say elites of society ignore reading the dailies published by various media houses because they see them as containing woeful lies.

To us at Sierra Express Media, notions of the public against the media seemingly portray greater truth.  It is so because the bulk of persons working as reporters are novices to a professional journalism.  Some don’t even know the true meaning of the word ‘news’ and cannot at all assess the value of a ‘news.’

It was all a sigh to see on the front page of The Spectator newspaper of September 23rd, a rotten display of reckless practice of journalism by a reporter whom, according findings, lacks almost all, to be called a reporter.  No wonder, proprietors of respective newspapers in Sierra Leone prefer paying for stories that come to their newspaper offices than hire the services of staff reporters.

The good books, in its direction on the goodies of journalism, say a journalist should have the quality of cross checking his/her stories, check, check and double check facts before having them published.  A story that is balanced entices the readers into reading the content to the finish.

Now, do cub reporters in Sierra Leone know how damning it is to their newspapers when stories published bear out blatant libel?

It may also not surprise society that some who say they are editors don’t know the dangers of libel and how it hampers their newspaper circulation.

Readers change channel when they notice inconsistency and incredibility in content of stories reported.

A case in point is a story published unedited in the Spectator newspaper by a street hustler turned reporter, Cecil Cole Showers. Not wanting to bother readers with bored and unconfirmed information in a story titled: “NAS Accounting In Unlawful Dismissal,” the recklessness of the so-called reporter was exposed minutes after the story was published.

Behold the intention behind the libellous publication of a story against NAS’ finest accountant was to scare him and cause him to pay money to the lie lie Spectator reporter.

Of course, and we insist, our take on the topic ‘journalists not blackmailers’ is deliberate and should be seen by bad journalists as strong caution to their conduct.

Journalism is respectful. It is universally acknowledged as a noble practice. We ask that persons, who see journalism as a place of money making or blackmailing people, to refrain or quit the trade.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

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