Minister decries shallow journalism

…as the second cohort of Radio Broadcasting training program graduates

Seithati Mots’oeneng

LESOTHO’s media is losing credibility because journalists are chasing social media trends instead of doing original, in-depth reporting, the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Nthati Moorosi, has warned.

Speaking at the graduation of the second cohort of the Radio Broadcaster Training Programme at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology yesterday, Ms Moorosi said newsrooms are under pressure to be first online, at the expense of accuracy.

“Lately, professional journalists have succumbed to the pressures of social media where they end up just copy-pasting things from online without verification. Broadcasters make news out of things from social media which lack depth and authenticity,” Ms Moorosi said.

She added that partisanship and weak local-language skills were compounding the problem, and reminded graduates that broadcasting carries a public duty beyond a pay check.

“Media is not just a profession, it has a responsibility to educate and inform people while serving as a watchdog over government proceedings,” she said.

The certificate programme was launched in April 2023 by the Ministry with the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) and Limkokwing University, targeting experienced presenters without formal qualifications, in line with the 2019 Media Sector Reforms and the Broadcasting Code 2022.

Nine students graduated this year from an initial intake of 10, only one of them a woman. More than 50 broadcasters completed the first cohort. Among the graduates was Joseph Tite Sentje, a reporter at Mohale FM, a sister company of the Lesotho Times.

Limkokwing Registrar Mateboho Moorosi said the six-month block, designed for people already working in the field, had been difficult to teach given their experience “but it was meant to help them conduct themselves professionally.”

Dr Papiso Brown, Manager of the Faculty of Communication, Media and Broadcasting, said the class had entered with education levels ranging from no formal schooling to Form C, with a focus on media ethics and law “because these are the areas where mistakes cost the most.”

Tebello Ramapepe, speaking for the graduates, said the programme had opened doors that had previously been closed. “The journey was never easy. We doubted ourselves because we were not sure if we could balance being mothers and fathers while schooling and working,” she said.

Former certificate recipient T’sokolo Toi told graduates “the image of this school rests on you,” while station managers’ representative Mabatho Lithebe urged them to “go out and get authentic stories from the villages,” flagging artificial intelligence as a new challenge: “We can’t let outsiders come and cover our stories.”

LCA official Molupe Molupe said the sponsorship forms part of efforts to ensure licensees meet ethical standards, with editors and managers included in the next phases of the three-year rollout. Limkokwing Vice Chancellor Adv Tefo Macheli said collaboration with the LCA had overcome initial resistance from experienced presenters. “Radio is a very powerful tool which can make or destroy,” he said.

Officials said the real test begins now, in the communities where listeners will judge whether the training translates into more accountable, balanced and locally grounded broadcasting.

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