Happy New Year and New Year Resolutions
Happy New Year, New Year resolution:
Happy New Year to all visiting my blog in 2008. We have left 2007 behind and as Malawi we carry excess luggage into the New Year. I have been out of here to avoid being seen as campaigning for a Fellowship in Health Journalism or my new job after holding interviews. The results are in, I didnt make it for the Fellowship but I got my job back after six years in Broadcast media. Personally I have left the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, a place I have called home for slightly over six years. MBC is a great place to work, more challenging politically and professionally. I know I will miss my colleagues but not the system. I want to agree with many Malawians that the Corporation has sunk to its lowest levels professionally that sticking around the place casts doubt on your integrity. This is a place where young professionals fight for presidential trips, this is a place where a health story will not be priotised over a dead mans letter written in 2000. Bootlicking, gossip and the new format of shameful reporting has emerged at MBC that sticking around the place will only kill ones career than improve it. After Cardiff, I returned to MBC with hope of reporting professionally. The then political bias at MBC was limited to only not covering the opposition. Journalists were never involved in scheming and historical reporting as is the case now. The feeling was that we could not be involved in promoting hatred among Malawians. Even at the peak of the third term debate, all we could talk of was the alleged greatness of Bakili Muluzi and shunned the other voice. Now Makiyolobasi, Mizwanya or the other programmes which I have never listened promote mockery and cartooning of politicians. On a national radio, this is the worst form of Journalism sanctioned by those that have never written or practiced Journalism at any level. Add that to allegations that are propagated as spiritual truth that have no resemblance of nation building. If one reads my last November posting, I asked myself if it is worth to work for my country and spend the whole time insulting fellow Malawians because they differ with someone on political views. I have a very strong dislike for pretenders. I have been labeled all sorts of things, but the truth is I am a Journalist and a proud Malawian. I want to advocate for Health Journalism in Africa not promote hatred. After all we chose multiparty democracy and that demands that those having a different view be allowed to say without fear or favour. I know just like many Malawians know for a fact that Muluzi failed and the incumbent Bingu wa Mutharika is delivering, but if one needs to promote Bingu does he need to insult someone to feel satisfied. Do we need to insult sitting High Court Judges and the acting Chief Judge on useless political grounds. Even the dictator Kamuzu Banda preserved the integrity of the Courts by creating his Traditional Justice system. MBC is busy repeating insults Muluzi heaped on other national leaders, but do we really as a nation question the integrity of Justin Malewezi, Aleke Banda and the very few that have been patriotic and continue to contribute to the crucial sectors of national debate. I hope to share more of my reasons of quitting later in my specially dedicated writings on public broadcasting later in the year. I leave MBC with a clear conscience, I believe in my country and that I can only contribute to its development through balanced and objective reporting. Again as I have said elsewhere, I rarely support any political party, if one went through my writings he she would discover that the lack of party democracy has bred small gods in all political parties a thing which I will never be associated with. I admire individual politicians who have stood with Malawians to solve the health, education, food and other social challenges. However, I always laugh when someone associates me with a political system or any other grouping. When I make a political decision, I will announce it very straight and will not be ashamed. Otherwise for now, most rumour mongers will speculate where I am heading or going to be in the next month. To make life easier for everyone, I have returned where I started my Journalism career and where I feel it’s a great place after my life achievements to build a life long Journalism career. I call it home. I become what I am because the media house believed in me when I was only 20 and had not written anything but reproductive health and children’s stories. I say it’s just great to be back into the world of real Journalism. Let’s write more on health and less on politics. Actually you can read more of my stories in the paper.
Happy New Year to all visiting my blog in 2008. We have left 2007 behind and as Malawi we carry excess luggage into the New Year. I have been out of here to avoid being seen as campaigning for a Fellowship in Health Journalism or my new job after holding interviews. The results are in, I didnt make it for the Fellowship but I got my job back after six years in Broadcast media. Personally I have left the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, a place I have called home for slightly over six years. MBC is a great place to work, more challenging politically and professionally. I know I will miss my colleagues but not the system. I want to agree with many Malawians that the Corporation has sunk to its lowest levels professionally that sticking around the place casts doubt on your integrity. This is a place where young professionals fight for presidential trips, this is a place where a health story will not be priotised over a dead mans letter written in 2000. Bootlicking, gossip and the new format of shameful reporting has emerged at MBC that sticking around the place will only kill ones career than improve it. After Cardiff, I returned to MBC with hope of reporting professionally. The then political bias at MBC was limited to only not covering the opposition. Journalists were never involved in scheming and historical reporting as is the case now. The feeling was that we could not be involved in promoting hatred among Malawians. Even at the peak of the third term debate, all we could talk of was the alleged greatness of Bakili Muluzi and shunned the other voice. Now Makiyolobasi, Mizwanya or the other programmes which I have never listened promote mockery and cartooning of politicians. On a national radio, this is the worst form of Journalism sanctioned by those that have never written or practiced Journalism at any level. Add that to allegations that are propagated as spiritual truth that have no resemblance of nation building. If one reads my last November posting, I asked myself if it is worth to work for my country and spend the whole time insulting fellow Malawians because they differ with someone on political views. I have a very strong dislike for pretenders. I have been labeled all sorts of things, but the truth is I am a Journalist and a proud Malawian. I want to advocate for Health Journalism in Africa not promote hatred. After all we chose multiparty democracy and that demands that those having a different view be allowed to say without fear or favour. I know just like many Malawians know for a fact that Muluzi failed and the incumbent Bingu wa Mutharika is delivering, but if one needs to promote Bingu does he need to insult someone to feel satisfied. Do we need to insult sitting High Court Judges and the acting Chief Judge on useless political grounds. Even the dictator Kamuzu Banda preserved the integrity of the Courts by creating his Traditional Justice system. MBC is busy repeating insults Muluzi heaped on other national leaders, but do we really as a nation question the integrity of Justin Malewezi, Aleke Banda and the very few that have been patriotic and continue to contribute to the crucial sectors of national debate. I hope to share more of my reasons of quitting later in my specially dedicated writings on public broadcasting later in the year. I leave MBC with a clear conscience, I believe in my country and that I can only contribute to its development through balanced and objective reporting. Again as I have said elsewhere, I rarely support any political party, if one went through my writings he she would discover that the lack of party democracy has bred small gods in all political parties a thing which I will never be associated with. I admire individual politicians who have stood with Malawians to solve the health, education, food and other social challenges. However, I always laugh when someone associates me with a political system or any other grouping. When I make a political decision, I will announce it very straight and will not be ashamed. Otherwise for now, most rumour mongers will speculate where I am heading or going to be in the next month. To make life easier for everyone, I have returned where I started my Journalism career and where I feel it’s a great place after my life achievements to build a life long Journalism career. I call it home. I become what I am because the media house believed in me when I was only 20 and had not written anything but reproductive health and children’s stories. I say it’s just great to be back into the world of real Journalism. Let’s write more on health and less on politics. Actually you can read more of my stories in the paper.
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