Harare Zimbabwe (News of The South) – Asking someone in an interview when they lost their virginity and who the person was, and where they are now, is highly unprofessional and inappropriate for a journalist.
Here’s why:
Gross Invasion of Privacy: A person’s sexual history is deeply personal and has no relevance to most journalistic inquiries.
Irrelevant to Most Topics: Unless the interview subject has specifically brought up their sexual history in a public forum and it is directly pertinent to a very specific, rare, and ethically justifiable journalistic purpose (which is almost never the case), such questions are entirely irrelevant.
Exploitative and Sensationalist: These types of questions are often designed to shock, titillate, or sensationalize, rather than to inform or provide genuine insight. This undermines the credibility and integrity of both the journalist and the publication.
Violation of Ethical Guidelines: Reputable journalistic organizations have strict ethical codes that emphasize respect for privacy, minimizing harm, and avoiding exploitation. Such questions would violate these principles.
Damages Trust: Asking such questions immediately erodes trust between the interviewer and interviewee, and likely between the public and the journalist/publication. No one would feel comfortable or safe sharing information with a journalist who asks such intrusive questions. DJ Ollah defended himself by saying Mai Jeremaya was fine with being asked such questions, while Mai Jeremaya may be fine with it doesnt mean DJ Ollah should go ahead and ask because he still needs to be accountable as a media professional.
Potential for Harm: Such questions can cause significant distress, embarrassment, and even harm to the interviewee.
A professional journalist focuses on gathering information that is relevant, accurate, fair, and respectful. Personal sexual history almost never falls into these categories for a journalistic interview.
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