The way and manner Sahara Reporters is constantly waging wars against those in authority and villifying them shows that it is the purveyor of fake news and propaganda.
At best, Sahara- Reporters’ variant of journalism is no-par-value as against evidence-based, factual, authenticated and verified reports of a credible medium. The nontradable products of the medium are fertile grounds for a classical study of an abuse of the new media and its irresistibility by gullible few who are wont to be rather quick of swallowing their churn-outs hook-line-and sinker and disregarding rebuttal or apologies by such errant media.
Unlike a renowned restaurateur with wide ranging traditional clientele who are pernickety, the likes of Sahara Reporters are piffling, pigheaded and higgledy-piggledy. The dysfunctional aspect of their reportage is fast becoming a phenomenon contrived mainly to destroy, damage reputation and integrity built over the years all in a bid to get rich quick extortionately. In the absence of any regulation or regulatory body or union, the only option is to approach the court to checkmate this errancy and miscreants in journalists’ toga whose watchword is publishing dishonesty, malicious, repulsive, contemptible and loathsome reports.
They continue to relish in it because the wheel of justice for libel and defamation cases is supposedly slow as most cases are not expeditiously tried – taking several years to serve justice. The question is: How many people who have consumed the fake news ab initio will ever get to read the judgment obtained against such errant medium or media? Even apologies are taken with a pinch of salt !
Sadly, there is no character or profession in Sahara Reporters that can act as institutional gatekeeper to checkmate these inanely, insubstantial and irritatingly silly bush telegraphs, spreading gossips swiftly without restraint.
Sahara Reporters are on a mission: engaging in needless and self-destructive controversies and tarnish the image of public officers and citizens who are resolute in executing an agenda without kowtowing to powerful vested interest groups who resort to mudslinging when their demands are not met.
Quakery appears to be the vision, mission and centre stage of Sahara Reporters publishing devoid of decorum. In this time and age, no sound professional journalist worth his salt should sit down after quaffing some beer to do a story unmindful that there are consequences. Typing out squiggles from the reporter’s notebook, if not from the head, on the computer represent lives and the reporter and the organisation should be conscious of what they do to those lives.
In conclusion, it is sad that this unprofessional online media that contains a bunch of quacks is intentionally publishing what always goes against the laws and ethics of journalism and at the end tenders a mere apology without being punished. We demand that drastic action should be taken against Sahara Reporters and its likes in order to get rid of bad elements in journalism profession.
Bilyaminu Gambo Kong-kol,
Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano
[email protected]
