Unethical reporting? Media houses disclosing prices for Albino body parts

By Thula Chisamba

Unscrupulous media outlets report how much money an abductor earns through selling body parts of people with albinism.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Malawi Star, executive director for the Association of People with Albinism in Malawi (APAM), Bornface Masa, said albino predators are sometimes fueled by unprofessional reporting.

“You read some publications and become surprised with how unprofessional they report on such a sensitive issue.  To most of us, it becomes unreasonable when a media house publishes how much bones of albinos cost on the evil market. That likely motivates others to join the business,” complained Masa.

It has also been observed that these unprofessional mass communicators, go beyond publishing markets where thugs vend albino body parts.

But to Masa, this is too motivating to the would be albino predators, who would not hesitate but to join the trade; consequently the malpractice lives on.

“I should believe that most of Malawian journalists went to college where they learnt about ethics and the likes.  I then urge them to practice mature journalism and not publish things that will only worsen the situation,” he added.

Of late, local and international media have been awash with reports on the abduction and torture of people with albinism.

Recently, this publication published an article which enlightened Malawians that albino hunters spread to the central part of the country.

When writing this paper, the Malawi Police Service in Kasungu district confirmed that bones of an albino baby who was murdered recently have been found and two suspected predators have been apprehended.

In line with such reporting, Masa, hailed other professional media houses for publishing articles that have made the world aware on how albinos are suffering in Malawi.

“That is now good reporting. As reporters you need to be judging your articles before sending them to editors for publication,” added Masa.

23 Comments on Unethical reporting? Media houses disclosing prices for Albino body parts

  1. Forget not that a responsible media outlet reports as it is, figures or no figures let’s try to civic educate each other on the evils of this barbaric acts. Our Justice system is mostly to blame how dare can a court go so low en sentence an intended murderer to 17 years IHL en call it stiffer penalty? Dont we have Life Sentences in this country? Yes courts are guided by jurisdiction and Sentencing guide lines , if that wat the case then the issue would have referred to another court wit a higher jurisdiction. This issue requires The Malawi Law Commission, Parliament, Min of Justice, Judiciary to revisit the penal code so as to bring out stiffer penalties to would b offenders not this 17 years IHL Joke.

  2. am in total agreement with Thula coz some ill minded fellows get attracted with the mentioned amounts of money. gud example being a certain fb comment on the Dowa case which read like this ” gentlemen, 1 billion kwacha? then i can kill for sure” look!

  3. I think it doesnt make sense for Mr Bornface Masa to attack journalists by calling them unproffessional bla bla bla…. The question must be; Where do those journalists source that information? Cant the APAM in conjuction with government follow those reporters and take a step with them because they have a possibility to help in tracing those who are enganged in that business.

    • MC Elias Yairo Its true that people can be influenced by mentioning market prices of those deals, What i disagree is for someone to call the journalists as unproffessional before thinking on how do they source that information,,, Utsi sufuka popanda moto, nzotheka kuti atapanga follow bwinobwino those reporters they can be able to help in tracing parties involved.

  4. I agree with Mr Masa, reporting on brutal murders of people with albinism then putting the price they are valued at is equally making people to look at persons with albinism as some best selling commodity and not people. Certain things are better left unsaid.

  5. APAM’s contacts for a stronger united trumpeting force against the evil practices. United we stand Malawians . Let us not wait for a second UN Expert Visit. God can not leave Albino predators unrebuked. NEVER!!!

  6. The killers are not the only wrongdoers in this matter. The fact that there is a market is a sympton of a very sick society. For every child body there are potentially 270 buyers, thus being the amount of bones in a child body. With the killer/trader that involves potentially 271 perpetrators per child body. 7 Suspects were burnt alive at Nsanje by a mob. The number of people involved in killing 7 people in such a brutal way is unknown. The chances are good that you are passing perpetrators somewhere along the streets, working with them or even accommodating them in your home. I do not think that reporting any of the facts pertaining to this makabre practice can be irresponsible. The more factual information being published the better the chances of identifying perpetrators.

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