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Avoid emotion-charged expressions and words; just stick to the facts
It’s apparent the artist who was commissioned to handle this signboard we sighted in Tegeta, Dar es Salaam, was in a hurry, so much that he painted ICLUDING instead of INCLUDING. As if that was not bad enough, he painted PRAVED instead of PAVED. Trust signwriters! PHOTO | AMS
What you need to know:
- If you’re compassionate about something, seek space in Op-ed pages and therein, say anything you want, in whatever way you like, so long as you don’t violate the rights of those who might not agree with you
The role of a journalist is report facts. So, it is most advisable to avoid emotion-charged words or expressions when conveying information. There are words or expressions that only your sources may use. Now, if these are to feature in your story, they should be used as quotes, produced verbatim as uttered by the source.
For instance, why should you, a journalist, tell your readers that so-and-so has been “elevated to glory”, whatever that means! Such usage would be okay in the obituary pages.
Allow me to be personal. After I, Abdi Sultani, breathe my last, I expect the subeditor who will write the headline for the story on my death to write something as simple as this: ‘The Citizen columnist dies in Dar’. Or, if by that time my name will have become a brand (ha!), the headline to be penned by an objective subeditor will read, ‘Abdi Sultani is dead’. Period!
However, if my clansmen will see the need to pay a glowing tribute to me while announcing my death, they’ll buy space in some newspaper, and the obituary will carry a headline like this one: “Beloved Abdi has left for Heaven.’ Or, ‘Abdi has gone to where there’ll be no more pain’. Or, ‘Abdi, the ever-loving one, has rested’, Ahem!
In the unlikely event that by the time I die I’ll have become known to members of the ruling elite, some of them, insha-allah, will send condolences. The message from, say the RC, sent to my family and the media fraternity, will read: “I would like to express my HEARTFELT condolences to the family and media colleagues of Abdi Sultani who RETURNED to his MAKER yesterday…”
I believe the scribbler who will do a story based on the RC’s condolence message will drop the word “heartfelt” and the phrase “returned to his Maker” and paraphrase the message read, “The RC yesterday sent his condolences to the family and media colleagues of Abdi Sultani who DIED yesterday…” Heartfelt is an emotional word, unverifiable. Cut it out! The expression “returned to his Maker” is pretentious. Remove it!
Now if a politician has any love for the people he purports to lead, let him express that love himself. As a journalist, don’t write something like, “Our Member of Parliament, who HAS A LOT OF LOVE for his voters, pledged to donate at least three computers to every school in the constituency.”
If you consider it apt to include the “a lot of love” crap in your story, do come up with a quote in which the MP will be seen as saying that himself—not you!
What we’ve said above should remind us of what Tanzania’s leading songbird, Lady Jaydee, says in her song, Usiusemee Moyo (Don’t Speak for Anyone’s Heart). The message in her song is this: avoid speaking on behalf of anyone using words that are anchored on their emotions or feelings.
A journalist must be an objective recorder and conveyor of truth and not anybody’s praise singer. It is therefore important that we cautiously go about our work knowing that we owe it to the public to convey to them information that isn’t influenced by our sources’ idiosyncrasies.
If you’re compassionate about something, seek space in Op-ed pages and therein, say anything you want, in whatever way you like, so long as you don’t violate the rights of those who might not agree with you.
Let’s wind up this piece with what readers of this column mainly look forward to—a language critique.
Look at the following caption, some of whose details we alter for ethical reasons:
“Hon Paulo Mpali pays his last respects to THE BODY of Tizo Security chief executive officer, Dr Daniel Musa, yesterday…”
Hello! We don’t pay last respects to the body of the dead. We pay last respects to the person who died, in this case, to the Tizo Security CEO Dr Daniel Mussa.
Ah, this treacherous language called English!
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