'Media going beyond ‘first draft of history’

If “journalism is the first rough draft of history” as was famously said by Philip L. Graham (former president and publisher of the Washington Post), then journalists record the very first footnotes of that history.

Journalists are well placed to make these footnotes of history because they are trained to write and broadcast, they have learned (through training and experience) to see and note small pieces of a big picture, and they are privileged to access places where news happens, where news is made, and where power to shape news sits. 

Journalism, too, is well placed to document the first draft of history because it has the technological platforms, the requisite production skills, resources, pecuniary interest, public expectation, and the legal protection to do so.

Unfortunately, that’s where the draft of history ends most times – journalists writing one or two stories, newspapers putting a few headlines out there and television airing a few minutes (if not seconds) during prime time. Thus a lot of footnotes never quite evolve into chapters in books, and the draft remains just that; a draft.

A lot of the nuance, minute details, background, etc of every story is therefore lost forever because the newspaper could only afford to dedicate a page or two to a given story, or because television had only a minute or so air story between adverts and the next story. Then in later years when journalists have retired or moved to other pursuits, they regal friends at the bar over beer with these little titbits that never made it to print on broadcast. 

In this age of enlightenment and technology, many footnotes should become chapters and books rather than remain in archives where they may never be dug out at, or occasionally show up at a fireplace over some road and drinks. 

This is a gospel I have preached for many years to colleagues (and to myself). I recall a few years ago while on workshop in Accra, Ghana, we were regaled and left in stiches by a television journalists that was part of a former African president’s media team. He had interesting tit-bits about nearly every state visit the president travelled to, or hosted. 

The tale of his principal’s visit to Mobutu Sese Seko’s palatial home in Gbadolite was particularly hilarious. None of this was ever aired or documented anywhere in a book. Sadly, he died without publishing a book. Can journalists and journalism do better than merely documenting the first rough draft and laughing it off over a drink? Yes! At institutional level, the Time Magazine Yearbooks and special editions like “Barack Obama: Eight Years” or “The 100 Most Influential People” are a good enhancement of the first rough draft of history by its journalists. 

At individual level, indeed many journalists in the West that have covered pivotal events or phenomenal personalities publish books to ink the little things that were never published or aired for various limitation at the time the stories unfolded.A well-known one is Michela Wrong, a British journalist who “reported on Africa for Reuters, BBC, etc.” She has gone beyond the first rough draft to authoring several books on areas and leaders she covered. These include, “In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo” (2002) and “Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad” (2021). You may disagree with her perspective but you have to salute her for adding a leaf to history. 

African journalists, understandably, are hamstrung by the nature of our governments and leaders. They can be vicious and thrive on permanent secrecy. Their stories can, therefore, only be fully told when they have left – not power – but the world. 

Still, there are a number of important stories that can be safely “bookised” and a few names in Uganda have done so in the recent past. Today, we salute the latest Ugandan journalist who has decided to wade into these waters. He is Joe Nam who did his journalism trade at both New Vision and Daily Monitor. This Tuesday, he shared with me his hot-off-the-mill book titled, “The Day Museveni Goes: Reflections, Questions, Fears, Hope”. I am looking forward to reading it.

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