[FILES] Martins Oloja
Let’s us not get it twisted, there will never be a cosy relationship between state actors and good journalists. And so whenever you see that state actors and journalists are harping on a buzzword, ‘we are partners in progress’, there must have been a compromise against the people. Journalism isn’t public relations. Journalism exists to scrutinise and question deviations, monitor governance and hold state and non-state actors to account, doubt and probe questionable reputation and integrity. Public relations goal is to manage reputation and control damage done to reputation perhaps though good journalism.
This is yet another opportunity to explain this conceptual confusion to most people who do not understand what journalism is all about. We need to know that state actors all over the world want journalists to do public relations job for them. Journalism seeks to cover what is odd, bizarre and unusual about peoples, places and events. That is also why