By Dickson Jere
My first job as a reporter was at the Post Newspapers. When you join a media organisation, you are presented with a huge book called – the House Style – which guides you and editors on how to write stories for that particular organization. I am not sure if the new media still maintain that sacred ritual in journalism. It is the house style that distinguish stories from one media to another by way of presentation. For example, The Post Newspapers, the house style, had no respect of titles. At first mention of name, for example, it will be President Kenneth Kaunda. At second and later mention, he will be referred to as “Kaunda”. Titles were not used unless “Dr” and only if it was a medical doctor.
When I joined AFP – the leading world newswire – they had similar style. Just use two names in a story and at second mention, you just use second name. But the rule of thumb is that never bend this rule for whatever reason. It is your own house style and not your sources.
I hope the recent developments at ZNBC entails that the House Style has been updated. You can now use initials and names in same story.
But again, we learn in journalism, that initials are not good for broadcasting. They are mouthful but mean nothing to reader or listener. Just mention first and second names! Even for married women, most media organisations prefer to pick either maiden name or marriage name. Not all…
So my mother is Mary Banda or Mary Jere…not Mary Banda-Jere…
W.K Mutale Nalumango as Vice President will only make sense in written text and not in broadcast news! But the trouble with initials is that you leave your readers/listeners in suspense as they do not know what those letters stands for or mean!
And if you adapt to this new style, then everyone else should have initials in their names. You cannot have exceptions to the rule as you will distort your presentation!