By McGeorge Mbare
After years of experience in journalism, veteran reporter Rex Mphisa says journalists should learn to “romance” their sources, emphasizing the importance of nurturing news sources.
Mphisa taught this strategy during a one-day extensive refresher workshop held on Saturday, February 21, organized by the Beitbridge Chapter of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) in Beitbridge.
On key aspects of nurturing news sources, Mphisa said young journalists must learn to build trust, protect sources, and maintain regular communication.
“Nurturing sources in journalism is the proactive, ongoing process of building and maintaining trust-based relationships with individuals or organizations who can provide information, insights, and tips for news reporting.
“Building trust is one of them. Trust is the foundation of the journalist-source relationship. It requires consistency, professionalism, and integrity over time.
” We should learn to protect sources. This includes respecting confidentiality and honoring ‘off the record’ agreements to ensure the source is not harmed or exposed,” Mphisa said.
Speaking at the same workshop, Mr. Nqobile Ncube, who took charge of business etiquette in the media, said that journalists should prioritize the five pillars of business etiquette in their daily profession.
“Etiquette refers to the social norms and expectations around how to behave in various interactions in society. These norms provide a code of conduct and a structure that subtly regulates the expected attitudes, behaviors, and manners of all members of society.
The five pillars are, be punctual and respectful of time, communicate effectively, respect personal space and boundaries, honor commitments and be accountable, and maintain a professional appearance,” Ncube said.
The two panelists provided valuable insights on what professional journalists should do and not do in order to thrive in their respective fields.