Journalists recently got a salty wet slap in the face, when a ‘directive’ from State House landed in their inbox.
Journalists recently got a salty wet slap in the face, when a ‘directive’ from State House landed in their inbox.’Kindly ensure that all journalists are familiarised with this information, because anyone contravening such will not be allowed to enter the State House and or cover the President’s programme.’Wragtag!It continued with its not so idle but very childish threats. ‘All journalists are required to render the State House the respect it deserves. No jeans, flip-flops, sneakers, caps, or indecent dressing code is allowed when covering events at the State House.’Now, to tell journalists they must dress up like BEE beneficiaries to do their job is a bit far fetched. I don’t know any real journalist who owns a suit and a tie.Well, those who have both must be subjected to a serious lifestyle audit. And what is an ‘indecent dressing code’ hoeka?Am I allowed in with my DTA t- shirt circa 1989 or an RDP scarf? Who decides what is decent? Not all of us are millionaire civil servants pretending to be part-time tenderpreneurs.But that’s not what irked me the most. The media are apparently expected to take their positions at least 45 minutes before the President arrives.For what?So journo’s must lose almost an hour of their working day to sit and wait like poephols so that the President can look in charge. I don’t think there is much more that will make him look Presidential at this stage. That boat has sailed for him a long time ago.I’m surprised they don’t expect the poor journalists to go on their knees with their hands clasped together in holy reverence when the President ‘arrives’.And don’t think you can throw around your chappies papers and snot tissues away when visiting that holy place.Only portable camera bags are allowed into State House for security reasons. The media is discouraged from leaving their tri-pods/bags laying everywhere around the State House.Now that is NBC for you, always spoiling other people’s fun with their sloppiness.And no cellular phones are allowed into State House either. While this is not a new rule, it remains utterly stupid. Has the old man got cellphone phobia?I always wanted to know why I couldn’t use my cell phone in the north when a Namibian President is also there. I think I’m now closer to my answer.It’s also stated in the ill-directed directive that ‘all journalists are expected to display a high standard of discipline and professionalism’.If that directive or the performance of the President’s special media advisor is a yardstick for profesionalism than I don’t think the journo’s have anything to fear.But what really made me chuckle was the point that stated, ‘All media practitioners are required to pass through a security check-point applicable to anybody entering State House.’What do you mean?Did our secret disservice get it into their tiny heads that journalists have special powers of osmosis or that they can magically transmit themselves into a room? I think if a journalist wants to jump a fence they will – and there’s nothing you can do about it!Even though this is kamma ‘The People’s Home’ it is stated that no media personnel are allowed into the State Banquet hall ‘after the public part of the banquet has ended’.OK, I must give them this. They’ve finally realised that some journalists will not budge as long as the drinks budget of an event has not been completely exhausted. They would order large volumes of alcohol and store it in their large handbags, camera bags and even on their person to consume later in a parking lot while listening to loud kwaito music.Is it any wonder that these poephols want to slap journalists around like this?
