By Garfield L. Angus
Never become so kind, so accommodating, or so sensitive that you fail to establish healthy boundaries. As media professionals, we must never allow ourselves to become commodities to be bought, traded, manipulated, or controlled. Our greatest asset is not our camera, our microphone, our notebook, or our social media following; it is our integrity.
Our dignity can never be trampled upon unless we first surrender it. Do your work with commitment, fairness, and professionalism. Treat everyone with respect, but be careful not to become too emotionally attached to organisations or individuals who possess a user mentality: people who value you only because you can publicise them positively. The moment they no longer need your services, many of them will forget your existence.
One of the greatest mistakes a journalist can make is to accept favours, gifts, money, or special treatment in exchange for doing what should simply be part of the job. Once people believe they have purchased your loyalty, they begin to believe they also own your independence.
Many years ago, while delivering the keynote address at a business function in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, former head of the defunct Crime Management Unit (CMU), and retired Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Reneto Adams spoke publicly about a Spanish Town-based gang having established a presence in the town. The Manchester Police Commander at the time became furious that a journalist had reported the story without his permission.
His response was startling. He complained that he had been giving the journalist money and could not understand how such a report could have been published. Those of us who knew the journalist understood why the Superintendent felt entitled to make such a statement. The journalist had developed a reputation for accepting things from people. What the Superintendent failed to realise, however, was that if the reporter had refused to file such an important story, he might very well have lost his job.
That experience reinforced a lesson I have carried throughout nearly four decades in journalism: staying far away from people who believe favours give them ownership over your professional judgement. In almost 40 years in this profession, I have never asked anyone for money or favours to do my work. However, I admit that I have sometimes become too closely associated with people and organisations that I genuinely admired. Looking back, I realise that emotional attachment can be just as dangerous as financial dependence.
I have a colleague in Mandeville who has always refused to socialise with the town’s elite. Years ago, I challenged her position. I believed that if journalists were invited to respectable social events and had the time, they should attend. She politely disagreed and never attended. Today, I understand her wisdom far better than I did then.
The Rotary Club in Mandeville used to host a wonderful monthly event called Rotary Roast. It was an elegant evening where almost everything served was roasted, except the drinks. The atmosphere was always enjoyable, and the venue reflected the town’s finest hospitality. Then one evening, the programme changed.
Their principal sponsor, an investment bank, presented a cheque valued at $100,000 to a community institution. As I stood taking photographs, the head of the bank, a pompous fellow, loudly instructed me to “make sure this story goes on the front page.” He clearly believed that because I was present, I had the authority to determine newspaper placement. That was the last Rotary Roast I attended.
Many people who crave publicity simply do not understand how journalism works. A reporter, photographer, or videographer does not determine whether a story is published, where it appears, or whether it leads the news.
Editors make those decisions. Therefore, when favours are extended with the expectation of guaranteed publicity, everyone involved is gambling with unrealistic expectations.
Build relationships. Be courteous. Extend goodwill wherever you can. But never become so invested in helping others that you lose yourself in the process. One observation has fascinated me over the years. Many politicians, business leaders, charity executives, and community leaders with whom I have developed genuine friendships have never asked me to manipulate the news in their favour or bypass editorial procedures.
Ironically, it is often people with whom I have only a professional relationship who repeatedly pressure me to “put in a word,” bypass official channels, or secure coverage they have not properly requested. That tells me something important. True relationships rarely demand favours. Transactional relationships almost always do.
I have also observed how differently various institutions treat media professionals. Generally speaking, many of Jamaica’s prestigious “name-brand” schools show remarkably less consideration than schools located in inner-city or deep rural communities, where courtesy is often exceptional.
While covering a cultural programme at a prominent Clarendon high school, I sat immediately behind the guest speaker, who was then the director of culture in education at the ministry of education. The morning sun was relentless. Bottled water was distributed to the officials seated nearby. Servers brushed past me repeatedly to serve distinguished guests, yet no one thought of offering the working journalist a drink.
The irony came after the event ended. As I walked away, two of the ladies who had been serving refreshments hurried over and eagerly asked me when the programme would be shown on television, although they did not see me with a television camera. Respect should never begin only after someone needs publicity.
In 2017, I published my first book. My church had some 200 members, yet only about fifteen purchased a copy. At my workplace, roughly ten persons supported the publication. Within the wider media fraternity, however, colleagues including Garfield Myers, Glendon Baker, Rohan Powell, Byron Buckley, Lance Neita, Ruddy Mathison, Rayon Dyer, Alicia Sutherland, Balford Henry and Neville Graham demonstrated genuine support.
Those experiences reminded me that appearances can be deceiving. Accept people as human beings. Never assume that an angelic appearance guarantees a compassionate heart. A few years later, I experienced one of the most difficult periods of my life. For the first and only time, I sought assistance from my church. A formal letter was sent to the regional president, who is a pastor. He received it. Trusted associates reminded him repeatedly. I personally sent four WhatsApp messages. Not once did he acknowledge receiving any of them.
His silence contributed to my losing assets worth more than one million dollars, a loss that could have been prevented with assistance of less than $200,000. Pain has a way of teaching lessons that comfort never can. Perhaps my greatest weakness has always been my passion for highlighting people who are doing meaningful work. I genuinely believe journalists should seek out unsung heroes, community groups, schools in remote districts, volunteers, and ordinary citizens quietly transforming lives, and tell their stories.
But compassion must never replace professional boundaries. Today, my philosophy is much simpler. If we are not friends, please do not invite me to social events merely because you hope my presence will generate publicity. If you cannot call to ask how I am after not seeing me for a month… If purchasing a $2,500 copy of my book is too much support… If our relationship exists only when you need a press release written, a speech prepared, or media coverage secured… Then please understand that those services are no longer available free of cost.
And if you later decide to offer payment after years of taking without giving, the answer will still be no. There are excellent public relations professionals available. Hire one. There are also those willing to exchange publicity for personal favours. Seek them instead. As for me, my independence is no longer negotiable. My 10 percent “church obligation” goes to that elderly person who can’t afford medication, that child who needs support to begin or continue their education, efforts that go far beyond the 10 percent that is used to pay pastors, among other things.
Nearly four decades in journalism have taught me that kindness is a virtue, but boundaries are a necessity. Compassion should never become captivity. Professionalism should never become servitude. Generosity should never become exploitation. Respect yourself enough to say no. Protect your name. Protect your integrity. Protect your peace. Because once integrity is lost, no amount of publicity can ever restore it.