Is it necessary to begin this article with an introduction?What is an introduction in the first place?
Journalists and reporters call it the “tntro”, even though its purpose is to introduce the most important part of the story rather than serving as an opening for a detailed study or analysis. Another word for the “intro” is the “lead” which is characterized by a variety of opening paragraphs depending on the nature of the story and the preference of the reporter.
Introductions vary in length in terms of the number of pages leading to the substance of the subject under study. Some novels and plays have very long introductions. They could be written by individuals who had studied the works they introduce for a number of years.
The writers of these kinds of introductions can be regarded as experts or authorities who deserve appreciation for their knowledge and insignt. So, a book may have a foreword, a preface and an introduction in a series before it starts its own story on the first page. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to differentiate the three.
The purpose of this article is to attempt to show whether or not there is a dividing line between Journalism and history. One of the reasons for embarking on this subject is the variety of discussions underway over the television on the two subjects. A simple way of dismissing their difference may be the idea that journalism deals with the present and history with the past. What about the future? No one knows for sure.
Categorizing the past with history and the present with journalism, a number of questions come to the fore – some easy to answer because they are factual others very difficult because they depend on many causes and subjective and objective judgements coupled with diverse interpretations.
Taking simple dates or days like March 2, or place names like Adwa or Maichew, they evoke memories of the great sacrifice paid for Ethiopian independence. In other words, Ethiopians whether they are born in the north, south, east, west of the country or flee from it to live in exile abroad, their history shows that they share a common background which they cannot afford to underestimate or place secondary to their common interests.
In this regard, utmost care must be taken so that historical facts would remain intact or would not be distorted for different reasons. Some historical occurrences must not be played up to the detriment of others. For example, some place names could be easily discarded or forgotten while others may be mentioned numerous times for unspecified reasons.
The basic criteria for good historical writing is objectivity and fair judgement. Some writers think that history will forget their msistakes if they put in black and white whatever they did during their life time. However, the main measuring rod of historical accounts is truth, and what applies in history also applies in journalism. Thus, history and journalism are two faces of the same coin. Indeed, they differ in approach, but, in so far as the search for truth is concerned, they remain the same.
In war rather than in peace, truth, as one writer said, is the first casualty. To be committed to truth by avoiding rumours and gossip must be the end goal of both journalists and historians. If, in some advanced countries, archives are not made public before the lapse of fifty or so years, it is for good reason. It takes a good deal of time for people to see what was wrong and what was right and judge the truth from the proper perspective. What are the lessons of history and journalism then?
They are indefinite, i.e. neither limited to the past nor to the future; neither belong to the present nor restricted by time or space. Without giving due regard to the principles laid down in these two disciplines, we may have all the knowledge in politics, in all honesty, the ability to practise them professionally will be null and void. Thus, I conclude this article without actually introducing the subjects of my concern.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 8 March 2020
BY BERHANU TIBEBU ZEWOLDE
