Whether it’s good, bad or ugly, the public has a right to know and a civic duty to be informed. But who can be everywhere all the time? That’s why we have journalists. They are our eyes and ears. That’s how democracy works. It’s a sacred trust but there are legitimate fears, that the growing populist movement is threatening that trust. Social media is a double-edged sword. It has brought the world together and made a lot of our jobs easier but without the role of trained journalists to ensure accuracy, objectivity, fairness and context, misinformation is born and spreads.
Journalists’ stories inform and educate but also spark conversations, inspiring citizens to work together for change, or pay forward an act of kindness. This past weekend, I discovered my i-phone was missing. I rushed through my shopping at Lime Ridge Mall, knowing I would spend the rest of the day re-tracing my steps. When I returned to my parking spot, there it was. It had actually slipped out of my coat pocket and fallen beside the car. Some kind soul spotted it and tucked it into my driver door handle. It’s powerful moments like this that remind us why we must share and celebrate feel-good events.
While it’s important for journalists to cover the “good” news, let’s talk about the “bad” and the “ugly”. Not as easy a job when there is controversy but it’s essential. I know how hard those jobs are covering tragedies, crimes and injustices and dealing with the backlash that can ensue. However, journalists must keep their eyes on the higher purpose, something I teach my students. Get the facts, check them, then find the doers, the helpers, the people doing something about it and move the narrative forward for the greater good.
So, when I hear of elected representatives at any level of government refusing to speak to journalists, I feel a gnawing at the pit of my stomach. Whether a person associated with a crime or controversy is a doctor, a lawyer or a community leader, it’s in the public interest to know who they are, as many facts as possible. It’s part of the 5W’s journalists live by and the criteria for judging newsworthiness as Spectator Editor-in Chief Paul Berton has explained. At a time when transparency is the battle cry and journalism’s raison d’etre, how frighteningly ironic to hear of attempts to muzzle a free press. Clear-thinking individuals in touch with what’s happening in the world all know the chaos that will lead to.
I implore readers to trust, support and embrace journalism now more than ever. Sometimes it prickles, angers or saddens and sometimes it makes you smile but at least know dedicated reporters are on the job, working for you, checking their facts in search of the truth.
Read the full article here: https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2022/11/10/we-need-journalistic-honesty-more-than-ever.html