Wat

chdog-NotWat
chedDog

JohnDal
ber
g-Act
ononcesai
d,"
Powert
endst
ocor
rupt
,andabsol
utepowercor
rupt
s

absol
utel
y".Leav
ingpoweri
nthehandsoff
ew i
ndi
vi
dual
swi
l
lnotonl
ycor
ruptt
he

soci
etybutwi
l
lal
so v
iol
atet
hechecksand bal
ancesi
ntr
insi
cin ourmoder
n-day

democr
acy
.Consequent
ly,t
her
esponsi
bil
i
tyoft
hepr
essaswat
chdogonbot
hthe

r
uler
sandt
her
uledcannotbeov
eremphasi
zed.Whi
l
ether
oleoft
hepr hef
essast our
th

est
ateoft
her
eal
mist
oensur
ethatev
eryci
ti
zenoper
ateswi
thi
nthef
ramewor
koft
he

l
aw,
howf
reel
ythi
srol
eispl
ayedhasbeenasubj
ectofconcer
nint
hemedi
aint
hepast

y
ear
s.Thr
eat
stot
hef
reedom oft
hepr
essandassassi
nat
ionsofnot
abl
emember
sof

t
hepr
essi
nthel
ongandr
ecentpast
smayer
roneousl
yleadust
otheconcl
usi
ont
hat

t
hemedi
aisnomor
ethan"
wat
cheddog"i
nourcont
empor
arywor
ld.

WhenBar
ondeMont
esqui
eubi
rt
hedt
hei
deaofsepar
ati
onofpower
s,i
tbecamecl
ear

t
hatdemocr
acywi
thoutpr
opersepar
ati
onofpower
swoul
dnotachi
evei
tsobj
ect
iveof

concent
rat
ingpowerhol
i
sti
cal
l
yint
hehandsoft
hemaj
ori
ty.Byt
hesamet
oken,
ther
ole

oft
hepr
essaswat
chdogont hert
heot hreeest
atesoft
her
eal
m;namel
ythepr
iest
s,

t
hepol
i
tici
ansandt
he(
common)peopl
e,i
stopr
ev het
entt hreeest
atesf
rom maki
ng

badl
awsand/
orabusi
ngt
hosel
aws.Fori
nst
ancewhi
l
ethepr
essmaynotbeabl
eto

enact
/amend/
repeall
awsl
i
ket
hel
egi
slat
ure,nori
mpl
ement
/vet
osuchl
awsl
i
ket
he

execut
ivenori
nter
prett
hel
awst
o puni
shorabsol
veanaccused per
sonl
i
ket
he

j
udi
ciar
y,i
tcanatl
eastsensi
ti
zet
heci
ti
zenr
yont
her
ami
fi
cat
ionsoft
heact
ionsoft
he

t
hreepower
s.
Bei
ngconsci
ousoft
hecapaci
tyoft
hepr
esst
oexposet
hei
rmi
sdeedst
othemasses,

pol
i
tici
ans(
whomost
lyar
emember
soft
hel
egi
slat
ure,
execut
iveandj
udi
ciar
y)become

mor
eresponsi
blei
nthedi
schar
geoft
hei
rdut
ieswhi
l
ethepr
iest
sandcommoner
sar
e

war
yofov
erst
eppi
ngt
heboundar
iesal
l
owedbyt
hel
aw.Hence,
themedi
asuccessf
ull
y

f
ulf
il
sit
srol
east
hewat
chdogoft
hesoci
ety
.

Unf
ort
unat
elypasti
nci
dent
sandcur
rentdev
elopment
ssuggestt
hatt
hepr
essi
snow

posi
ti
onedi
nther
ever
seessenceofbei
ngawat
chdog.Appar
ent
ly,i
tisnow t
he

wat
cheddog!Fori
nst
ancet
hecl
andest
ineassassi
nat
ionofJamal
Khashoggial
l
udest
o

t
hef
actt
hatt
hemedi
amaynol
ongerwi
eldi
tsdej
urer
esponsi
bil
i
tyaswat
chdog.The

messageoft
hehi
gh-
handedandshamef
ulmur
der
ousacti
sinher
ent
lysuggest
ive:
"Hey
,

y
oumedi
apeopl
e,l
ett
hat(
Khashoggi
'
sdeat
h)ser
veasanot
eofwar
ning.Wear
e

wat
chi
ngy
ouandwhaty
our
epor
t!
"Butbecauset
hej
our
nal
i
stsar
enotwat
cheddog,

such hi
gh pr
ofi
l
e assassi
nat
ion di
d notdet
ert
hem f
rom adv
anci
ng t
he cause of

j
our
nal
i
sm j
ustast
hegr
uesome,
stat
e-or
chest
rat
edassassi
nat
ionofDel
eGi
wai
n1986

di
dnotendt
hepr
act
iceofj
our
nal
i
sm i
nNi
ger
ia.

Ov
eral
l
,seasonedj
our
nal
i
stsgener
all
yunder
standt
hatt
heyar
ethewat
chdogandnot

t
hewat
cheddogev
enwhent
hesoci
etal
il
lsr
eart
hei
rugl
yheads.

©Bami
del
eFani
yi

May
,2021