Speaking Truth to Power!

21 May 2007

Journalists, reporters, public writers, essayists, photographers and a newly established group, 'bloggers' are following more and more a dangerous occupation. In the last ten years, for instance, more than 1,000 of these individuals have been killed in the line of duty, not a few of them murdered in cold blood because of their work.

Philippine radio announcers, Iranian commentators, African and South American writers have felt the sting of bullets, the crushing blow to the skull, the wounding by car bombs and the clang of prison cell doors, all in payment for the work that these media personnel have been doing. In other words, the writer, commentator, journalist, announcer 'speaking truth to power' has been paying a dear price, sometimes the ultimate price, their very own lives.

This week Solomon Islands' Media Association is joining up with PINA (Pacific Islands News Association) to host a full week long training and information sharing sessions high lighting the work of those working in the difficult field of media--getting news out to the public. Underlining the whole week's proceedings is the fundamental fact that the media's basic work pattern is to 'speak truth to power'!

Persons holding political power immediately come to mind but other power brokers must not be lost sight of as well. Those who control large amounts of money--business people, bankers,
company directors, entrepreneurs--must also be fair game for media's focus. Don't forget those who hold significant power by their position in society--church leaders, government agents, opinion makers, media personnel themselves, etc. are legitimate focus also. In each and every case the newspaper reporter, media person, TV/radio commentator, the journalist brings a most important influence to bear when they present 'truth to power' to these kinds of power-people.

But facts, cold, hard facts on their own are rarely the same as publicly telling out the sober truth. Truth is more about taking the facts of a case, interpreting them fairly, accurately and timely and then sharing them with everyone but especially those holding power.

Normally, quoting Sacred Scripture rarely convinces people of the worth of a media statement. Obviously the authors of Scripture never had the Solomons in mind when they were writing to people in the Near East during the pre-Christian era. I have noticed, fortunately, over the past few years that writers to the Letters to the Editor of our newspapers resort less and less to arguments from Scripture to make a point. Of course, Scripture has its place in daily discourse but rarely should it be imported as a proof of media statements. It mostly acts as a reminder to readers that we live in a Christian ethos and value system.

The 1998-2003 period, five year Social Unrest event before the advent of RAMSI, was media's testing time. In my estimation, our media leaders, including myself, failed the nation big time. The print media and radio outlets did not live up to our obligation to 'speak truth to power'. I was under no illusion during those years that the "Boys with Guns" knew exactly where I lived, what organization I worked for and indeed had a pretty fair idea who were my family members.

No media member at that time craved trouble much less martyrdom. Many of us knew about murders, some even had a good idea what "panel' beaters out at Ranadi meant and some also worried about the day light robberies that went on at the Ministry of Finance almost on a daily basis. Few of us, however, voiced out our dismay, publicly questioned these antics and made little attempt to throw our considerable weight against these crimes and those criminals.

But unlike most other dangerous media areas of the modern world, it wasn't the State or state-sponsored hoods who stopped us from reporting on crimes right under our very noses. Unfortunately, it was a well founded understanding of the "Boys with Guns" who pushed us to unusual silence. Even today, it is less, much less, the government and its agencies which 'buy' our silence.

Self-censorship, not so much outside force, too often fuels our silence, lack of seeing the obvious and sows timidity within our souls to 'speak truth to power'. During our Social Unrest years, the legitimate fear of the gun kept many silent. What is it today that fuels our silence?

J. Roughan

21 May 2007

Honiara