Remember the town crier

 In 1787, US president Thomas Jefferson said: “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right.”

Unlike Africa’s parroting presidents, who pay lip service to the importance of the media, the third US president was a spokesperson of democracy and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

He categorically stated: Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter”

His radical rhetoric underscores the importance of press freedom in any democratic countries.

Yes, democratic nations—not corrupt pseudo-democracies characterised by thieving and nepotism creed: “My pocket, my parents, my children, my tribe, my church, my party denomination”.

In June this year, Malawi Government held a high-level conference on separation of powers and journalists dutifully reported news from the meeting that did not recognise the Fourth Estate’s watchdog role.

The press is our modern-day town crier.

In Medieval Europe, a town crier was employed to deliver announcements and news for all to hear. After reading the message, he would display it in a prominent place where everyone could read it.

The media touts itself as the Fourth Estate, a catchphrase attributed to British politician Edmund Burke.

Talking about the three Estates in the British Parliament, Burke added that in the Press Gallery resided the fourth estate that was far more important.

In the US, the ‘fourth estate’ tag places the press alongside the three branches of government: the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

In line with this understanding, the debate over the separation of powers inadvertently excluded an important institution—the press.

The media’s work is impeded at every opportunity by the three formal arms of government yet journalists are ironically and constantly called upon to inform the public about issues concerning government agencies.

An independent press can help promote non-legal fair assessment of duty-bearers who trample on citizens’ toes.

So why was the media not given a platform during the national conference on separation of powers?

Generally, the conference was convened to discuss and establish mechanisms for the three arms of government to stop stepping on each other’s toes.

The Executive should desist from trampling on the other two branches just as the Legislature and Judiciary should stick to their business.

The message was loud and clear, the press reported.

Yet an independent press is important though it ranks low when it comes to serious State business. This is where men are separated from boys.

Obviously, we cannot elevate the press to a government-funded agency without compromising its independence, sight and nosiness.

However, the media should be at the roundtable when the three formal arms of government are discussing matters of national importance such as the separation of powers.

Journalists should not have been at the conference merely to report the event, but as an active participant in recognition of its intellectual knowledge and watchdog role.

Academics from universities that train journalists should have been among the panellists, speaking the hard truth to the three arms of government as did lawyers and political scientists.

The media should not be relegated to sheer carriers of information. Its input should inform national processes and decisions to promote good governance.

The fourth estate should have a say during national conversations, including the state of separation of powers.

Surely, it is not just a town crier, but a watchdog of our democracy