Thabo Leshilo

'A few scoundrels can tarnish thecredibility of an entire industry'

People trust journalists because of the altruistic nature of their craft. They take it for granted that the men and women of the fourth estate have no ulterior motives and are motivated primarily by the desire to serve the public. A single reporter who breaks that trust does untold damage to the credibility of the media, to which the helpless often turn in pursuit of justice.

The sad truth is that journalists with the ethics of pigs are not an exclusively Cape Town phenomenon. They can be found in other newsrooms across the country. My experience is that showbiz and celebrity journalism is the murkiest. Many of the hacks can't resist the temptation to mimic the lifestyles of the supposedly glamorous louts they report on.

That goes some way in explaining why some "stars" and "celebrities" hog the pages of some newspapers or get inordinately high airtime on radio and TV, while more talented artists get scant mention. The saturation coverage some promoters, performers and "celebs" enjoy is a function of their ability to grease palms.

The most common of the elaborate scams entails rogue reporters and news editors giving undue publicity to the clients of public relations companies owned by their kith and kin. Free, unwarranted exposure is also given to curry favour with relatives, friends and benefactors.

The less subtle methods include journalists using their publications to launder the stained images of "stars" who get deservedly bad publicity elsewhere. The most brazen of the scum do not think twice of moonlighting as publicists for well-known people and events.

Last year, Sowetan incurred the wrath of newspaper reporters it had exposed for earning extra cash from the SABC for stories they had published.

I know I've painted a gloomy picture. The pleasing truth is that corruption among journalists is not endemic in our country. It is only a tiny unethical minority that is on the take. Most journalists are decent folk who work hard to support modest lifestyles.

A few scoundrels can tarnish the credibility of an entire industry. The big problem, though, is the way the media handle their ignoble sons and daughters. Their tendency to get rid of corrupt journalists quietly to avoid embarrassment is typical of the private sector. It is problematic.

Reports about corrupt journalists are extremely rare. For example, only a few people in the fraternity know that Sunday Sun quickly and quietly got rid of its highly compromised news editor only a few weeks ago.

The secrecy around his departure and that of other scaly journalists leads to the undesirable situation whereby they can rotate among different media houses without their previous crimes being detected. And just as it is impossible for a leopard to change its spots, they almost always continue in their old fraudulent ways.

Coming closer to home, it would be interesting to see how two complaints I took up about a classic case of conflict of interest involving the news editor of Sunday World pan out. The complaints, received in mid-August, were by small, independent recording companies claiming that the news editor, who is also the co-owner of a recording company, denies their artists publicity while those from his stable are constantly featured.

I have never seen such foot-dragging, buck-passing, obfuscation and abdication of responsibility on something so damaging to the credibility of a newspaper. Watch this space.