When teachers 'roast' journalists

Paul Aruho

Their faces could easily be read they were ready for us. They wanted to know why journalist do the things they do- are they from mars?

It was a challenging experience when I met student teachers of at Bushenyi primary teachers’ college in Bushenyi district early this week. They had called me to discuss for them how journalists go about their work, the role and challenges journalists face and the possible opportunities if one joins the profession.

I did some preparations to make sure that I am not caught off guard by these informed people. I called my colleague Chris Ahimbisibwe and we went together. On our way, they called to find out whether were coming.

We found they had already assembled and was welcomed by Sister Sophie Kentwiga, the head of language studies at the college. I immediately went on stage and took the students through the journalistic work, with Ahimbisibwe filling the ‘potholes’ in my address. The students were attentive and did not have a rough time at this level. After our talk, there come the time of questions.

“I want to know what drives you as you do your work. Your nature of work seems risky. What mechanism do you use to defend yourself? Do you have guns?” one student asked.

It was very surprising to see that the public think that journalists carry guns. To them our work is very daring which requires protection like carrying a gun. They think we carry arms to fight back whenever we are attacked.

It reminded me of what Daily Monitor’s Emmanuel Gyezaho wrote recently that “Service to country is the one that drives us.”

We told them that we are simple people, law abiding citizens who do our work with extra care.

“Sometimes we fall into trouble like any other person who deals with human beings,” Ahimbisibwe told them, “but we always get out and carry on our duties.”

The students disagreed with us when we told them that we are agents of behavior change. For them they think that teachers are the ones that change behavior and the media has always let them down in this struggle.

“It is amazing that you have continued to awashing us with pornographic materials, then you come here and say you are agents of behavior change. By the way, are there journalists who believe in God?” one Esther asked.

You can now imagine how these people think about us. They think we are spoilt ‘boys’ who do not have a sense of God in our lives. It was very hard to explain to these teachers that some of us are believers who submit to the will of God. They think we do our work as if we don’t live on this planet called earth.

“Do you really take time to read through the papers you write? Those ashaming pictures which you publish to be seen by young and innocent children. You are solely responsible for the degenerating morals in our society,” a charged Esther said.

We were dumb folded. We did not have answers for Esther on our finger tips but at least I was representing a newspaper (Daily Monitor) that does not publish pornographic material and that is what I told them.

The students wanted us to go on. They were disappointed when Sister Kentwiga announced that we had to end such that other college programs could continue. They still had very many questions for us and we promised them that we shall come back when called.

That is how the two behavior change agents in our society (teachers and journalists) spent a day together.