Media Flaws

A year or so ago I was working with a visiting UK journalist (don’t worry Rob, I won’t mention your name) who, during a lunch break started talking about Nelson Mandela. Now in any given context talking about Mandela would seem normal, but what made this conversation odd was the angle – how about me working on Mandela’s forthcoming death? “It’s the next big thing!” Which was true and remains true. Somehow, I felt sickened by the idea of collating archived material and prepping death reports on a living being.

Yesterday, that conversation I had a year ago, became a reality - every journalist’s dream was about to come true. As I write this, the height of reporting is on the verge of being summated as each and every news crew pulls out camp chairs, drinks, snacks and of course recording equipment outside Milpark hospital. I can just see the packs of journalists ambulate outside the hospital each rehearsing their “In breaking news, Mandela has died!” and then stare into cameras with looks of surprise. The excitement and anticipation of this moment cannot go by unnoticed - some newsrooms have had departments dedicated to this for decades.

I’m willing to bet we’ll see some of the best compiled post-Mandela reports within minutes of his death. And as a ‘followee’ of mine on Twitter put it “Can we show concern without being alarmist”

No doubt, some of those ghouls prowling the hospital’s parkade, trying to climb walls, bridges or even sneak into the hospital as patients themselves probably harbour a conscience – a “this can’t be right” mentality. Some might even be concerned. But, I highly doubt it. So caught up in the moment that they’ve forgotten that therein lies a human being. Therein lies a father, grandfather and great-grandfather – to be so insensitive so as to want to interview near-grieving family is no longer news gathering, but a reflection of how inhumane we have become and desensitised to tragedy we are.

Granted we have been told Mandela is in a frail condition, however it has been said that his hospital visit is for mere check-ups. Yet, the media remains sceptical, “No, that won’t do – he must die!” It doesn’t quite wash for those ghouls in their camp chairs – they want to hear slow singing, see wreath-bearing and a hearse reversing in. Why else did they sleep outside a hospital? I mean who sleeps outside a hospital? Isn’t Johannesburg gutted by floods daily anyway? Unless you’re a vagrant, is that even normal?

We, at some stage, have to turn and ask ourselves why are those ghouls going to such extremes? Are you trying to tell me that all those extreme measures are in the name of Public Interest? Are we the public and our insatiable appetites for bad news that hungry for this particular story? I mean here we have a 92 year-old man, who spent a large portion of his life in jail. Obviously his health will wane and at some stage life will give in. However, staging a death camp for the living is no dignified send off for anyone. “They’re waiting for you to die tata” are probably Mandela’s bedside whispers.

Now as a journalist-in-denial I understand the textbook etiquette of these happy Milpark campers. I understand feeding public interest and I also understand the commercial value of such news. Mandela is a currency on his own.

However within my understanding I leave room to ponder the way in which the media is driven by ‘approved contradictions’ which actually stall its progress towards real new media. I often wonder how it is that when referring to media or new media all ideas rest upon the actual means of media and not the actual mediators. For example we celebrate social networking sites as being part of the advancement of media. Yet, in actual fact, nothing has changed - just a new telephone, medium but same reportage styles and guidelines. For real new media to exist we need to go beyond the medium towards humanity or to put it bluntly, apply our brains. Because ways of what's-news? or reporting are and have been on autopilot for way too long.

Our entire media is still pinned on traditional values or reporting and privileging information based on archaic formulas. Surely by now we would have better ways of telling – without necessarily always justifying everything with “public interest therefore it is newsworthy.” The media needs to take a look at itself and allow for more creativity, beyond inverted pyramids and breaking news structures. Add a touch of being human? Perhaps be more sensitive and attuned to the actual damages and desensitisation our journo footprints leave behind. Furthermore I would perhaps advise our media to work together on these Mandela reports - feed off one another, provide steady and measured reports together and not attempt to overwhelm the audience. In the spirit of unity is how we should approach this Mandela story - the way he would have done it, in the spirit of unity. No time for Paparazzi antics here. Respect.

With that said, I trust that Mandela’s recovery will be a speedy one so as to put a damper on camper spirits outside; as well as reunite him with his family. The sooner this happens, the quicker those campers can go do something else like swimming in the country-wide floods and telling us all about it.