Media and political communication expert Hezbon Owilla has cautioned news organisations against publishing claims that are not fully verified, saying inaccurate reporting could weaken public confidence in mainstream journalism and fuel the spread of misinformation. He said the credibility of the media depends on thorough fact-checking, especially when reporting on matters that can shape public debate.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Wednesday, Owilla criticised a media report that linked several senior public officials to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula through alleged family relationships. He said journalists should uphold high professional standards by confirming facts instead of relying on information already circulating on social media.
Owilla made the remarks in response to a local publication that earlier this week published an article linking Speaker Wetang'ula to several state officers serving in government, alleging that a number of public officials were connected to him through family ties.
He argued that being related by blood or marriage should not automatically be used to suggest influence, favouritism or nepotism without clear evidence.
"When I looked at that story... the conversation started from social media. The entire story is anchored on an obituary," he said, adding that stories carried as headlines require a much higher level of verification because they shape public discussion.
"It is very unfortunate, because a headline story will definitely set the agenda. That becomes the agenda people focus on," he said.
Addressing the issue of defamation, Owilla said the strongest defence against such claims is ensuring published information is true.
"Defamation is very broad... the basic around defamation is you injure somebody's reputation," he said. "In journalism, there's only one defence around defamation — truth. Let me verify that what you said is true. The truth cannot be defamatory."
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Owilla warned that mistakes by established media houses could damage their credibility and create what he described as an "information disorder."
"When we lose credibility in the legacy established media, then what we are are distorting is the information order. We are creating an information disorder. We are allowing anything to go," he said.
He also urged journalists to go beyond content already available on social media and instead produce original reporting backed by facts and deeper investigations.
"Good journalism would go beyond what Twitter and social media does," Owilla said. "What we expect is some in-depth analysis to tell us, 'Wait a minute, this is what happened.'"
Owilla further questioned claims that some of the public officials mentioned in the report secured their positions because of their alleged relationship with the Speaker, saying such conclusions must be supported by evidence rather than assumptions.
He maintained that the media remains one of the pillars of democracy but said public trust can only be protected through fairness, responsible reporting and proper verification. He warned that when established media organisations fail to meet those standards, they risk driving audiences away from credible sources at a time when misinformation continues to spread across digital platforms.
His remarks come just days after the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) accused sections of the media of drifting away from professional journalism in favour of sensational reporting, political activism and unverified claims, arguing that the trend is hurting public confidence in established news outlets.