Good Journalism Matters in Cameroon Now More than Ever

By Hans Ngala

A South African media scholar, Herman Wasserman has argued that the media is one of the central pillars of democracy, while James Carey, another media scholar argues that ‘journalism’ is synonymous with ‘democracy’ or is in fact another name for democracy.

These arguments go to prove journalism’s central role in the advancement of democracy. No wonder why the annual Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders is sometimes harshly criticized by some governments when they get a bad rating.

Cameroon has tended to be in the 100+ range, meaning Cameroon has very little press freedom and by extension – little democracy according to the international media watchdog.

This brings me to the core of my argument: quality journalism is needed in Cameroon more than ever before because journalism’s first loyalty is NOT to the government, but to the people. Hence, Cameroonian journalists are heroes for risking their lives to tell stories that would make people in authority uncomfortable. By ‘people in authority’ , I am not talking only about government officials, but also about business leaders, company executives, even opposition politicians who wield great political and economic influence.

Cameroonian journalists are quite aware of the risks their job entails; and that is why most of them self-censor. Some governments around the world tend to repress the press with the claim that they want to maintain national peace when in fact, they are just trying to restrict journalists from saying anything that will jeopardize their stay in power according to Laila Al-Sharqi and Irum Saeed Abbasi.

Most, if not all Cameroonian reporters can tell tales of one or two experiences when they found themselves in a murky situation before or after writing a news article –especially one to do with political issues. However, if Cameroon as a state believes in press freedom or at least wants to be seen to do so, then journalists must not be afraid to do their jobs. After all, every journalist’s job is to talk or write about the issues in the society that he or she lives in or comes from. Journalism is supposed to offer a space for public debate and discussions must not be driven underground.

I can vividly recall when the Anglophone Crisis re-emerged in 2016, the National Communication Council (NCC) warned journalists to avoid talking about the crisis and Radio Hot Cocoa in Bamenda even had their doors shut when one of their presenters ran a show about the Anglophone Problem in the country. It is true that some reporters might unconsciously stoke the flames that can further worsen an already fragile situation, but on the whole, every reporter does his or her best to tell the story just as it is happening and that is what Cameroon needs even at this time.

The fact that more than 5 years after the re-emergence of the Anglophone Crisis, government is yet to find a lasting solution to the crisis apart from a military response is a clear indication of why Cameroon needs solid journalists telling the story of Cameroon. And Cameroon is so much more than just about war and unrest, there are amazing Cameroonians making great strides in various fields, there are great and unexplored opportunities in Cameroon which reporters can market to the world. There are equally challenges in health, education and other aspects of Cameroonian life which reporters can highlight and perhaps get Cameroonian and international partners to collaborate in solving these matters.

The final aim of journalism is to bring about positive impact and not to rile up the population as some in certain camps sometimes assume. That is why African countries with a good record of press freedom also do well democratically and economically. These would include Namibia, Ghana, the Seychelles and South Africa.

Cameroon too is in dire need of Cameroonian reporters who are willing to stand in the gap and tell our stories, from our perspective and for Cameroonians to make their own choices about the issues that affect them.

When I decided officially about 7 years ago that I would pursue a career in journalism, I had no formal training. I simply had my pen and a worn out cell phone recorder as well as lots of passion. I had been doing various stints at newspapers and radio stations but I didn’t fully understand the intricacies of the profession until I went to journalism school in 2018 and studied media theories such as agenda setting and framing. I began to understand why journalists made certain decisions when telling stories. This helped me appreciate the industry better and drove me to question a lot of issues in Cameroon with regards to journalism.

Among them was the fact that Cameroon does not have a culture of investigative journalism. Investigative journalism differs from regular journalism in that it takes a longer period to arrive at the facts because it is usually the journalist’s own initiative instead of strictly relying on sources as in regular journalism.

While journalists can be quite critical sometimes, it is helpful to know that journalists also help the average person to see progress where it is being made. For example, when Cameroonian authorities inaugurated a state-of-the-art passport production center last year, reporters flooded their publications with pictures of the salubrious environment of the center.

So yes, journalism’s job is not to criticize for the sake of critizicing but to bring about positive change for the good of everyone – including those in high office. And I am proud I chose to become a journalist in spite of the risks involved. For me, the greatest reward is not monetary (because often times, pay is not too impressive), but I take delight in knowing that the stories I tell have the potential to change lives. That to me is sufficient reward.