Are journalists too tired, too broke or too lazy t...

Are journalists too tired, too broke or too lazy to check facts and figures?

Fact-checking works across the globe to correct misinformation

Garikai Mazara

It is called the illusion of the truth, that is when a lie is repeated so often that it mirrors or becomes the truth.

Sadly enough, the Zimbabwean traditional media landscape has been, probably that is, the biggest creator and propagator of that illusion. Never mind the emergence of social media, which in essence is less than two decades old in this part of the world.

Whilst today we are more inclined to call it "fake news", this phenomenon of lying has been with us for quite a while.

Just like money which changes name and character depending on circumstances - from tax, salary, bribe, tithe to fine - fake news equally has different names.

It could be an outright lie, propaganda, deception, fabrication, dishonesty or distortion, again depending on circumstances.

I put the blame squarely on our journalists who are either too tired, too broke or too lazy to check facts and figures.

Let us put aside the Seven Million Dynamos supporters we grew up on, for we can excuse that for banter, but how about the $15 billion that was allegedly stolen from our national coffers?

Was it a figurative figure, meant to emphasise the scale of looting or it was a proper figure? Like $15 billion was actually stolen? The country's national annual budget is plus or minus $5 billion, meaning almost three years' worth of our budget was stolen?

When it suited the narrative, Joyce Mukuru shot down a helicopter during the Rhodesian Bush War. Fair and fine, we celebrated her and rejoiced each and every independence day about her feat.

Then the tables turned. "Ah, no, she didn't shoot down the helicopter. That was all a lie." So, which one is now a lie? Up to now we don't know which is the truth or the lie. What should our history say?

And we don't only lie to suit a political narrative, we also lie to stroke our different egos. Like no-one really knows how many people Rufaro Stadium can accommodate. One fine Sunday, depending on which ego we want to stroke, Dynamos can host 30 000 fans when playing against either Caps United or Highlanders.

But if that narrative puts our beloved team in the fix with the taxman, "about 15 000 fans" conveniently attend the match. Similarly, "there were over 10 000 fans at Friday's musical show at the Andy Millar Hall".

Like seriously? Without either a head count or checking with tickets sold? But then again, the show promoter would not be keen on such figures being made public - because we are an economy bent on cooking facts and figures.

Just like the One Million Man march that was organized the other year. A million people? Reminds me of when Karikoga Kaseke used to organize those samba festivals in Harare - he had the propensity of throwing around figures.

But, like I mentioned earlier on, I blame our media, our journalists, for not bothering to check these figures and facts. No one challenges anyone.

For instance, who was the first Zimbabwean musician to perform in Europe? Was it Thomas Mapfumo or the Bhundu Boys? Who was the first footballer to play in Europe? Was it Moses Chunga or Freddie Mukwesha?

Is it true that Joshua Nkomo left the country wearing a dress through Botswana or it was simply propaganda?

The problem is we have lied so much in this country, such that some of our lies have been institutionalised, have been incorporated into our history, that these lies now form part of our history.

The illusion of truth.

One minute it is Mujuru downing a helicopter and the next minute, she hasn't. What history are we leaving for our children?

We grew up on the lie that Leonard Dembo was the first local musician to sell over 100 000 copies, through Chitekete. Only to learn later that it was Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena.

Alick Macheso is said to have sold 400 000 copies with Simbaradzo, how far true is it? Or it is yet another agenda-setting narrative?

Fake news did not start with social media, it has always been there even with traditional media. The onus is on media practitioners to tell the truth, to seek the truth and to verify the truth.