In Praise of Journalism: A Day to Celebrate the Value of Truth-Telling

Today is World Press Freedom Day (May 3^rd) and a good moment to reflect on how governments around the world are adopting an increasingly aggressive tone towards critical journalism.

The recent 2020 press freedom index from Reporters Without Borders ranks 180 countries and regions according to the level of freedom available to journalists.

It gives a snapshot of how news media are treated. It’s not an indicator of good journalism, but it gives a fair idea of how much freedom media have and the risks that journalists face.

Every year many journalists and media workers are killed, or are physically attacked or sent to jail for doing their job.

Reporters face many threats, from criminal groups or terrorists or others with something to hide. One such victim is freelance journalist Lyra Mckee, who was shot dead last year in a reckless act of political violence by gunmen in Derry.

But it is governments that are mostly to blame. Legal threats, and official pressure on legitimate investigative journalism is rampant and leads to self-censorship on a massive scale. More than 250 journalists are in jail around the world according to press freedom groups.

Some governments are even using the global health emergency as a pretext for repressive measures for purposes unrelated to the pandemic. Journalists are being locked up and media closed down for critical reporting and the internet is being suspended to avoid the spread of internal dissent.

A summary of attacks on press freedom and internal dissent arising from the pandemic can be found in a daily monitor of global media incidents also being compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Hostility to public interest journalism is not new, but it is worryingly more visible in public life, even in in western countries. In the United States, for example, President Trump punctuates every press conference with hostile and often insulting attacks on news media and individual journalists.

In Britain, prior to the health emergency, the UK government was lining up to attack the BBC and Channel 4, although this approach appears to be on hold and not surprisingly given the public support for their coverage of coronavirus.

Nevertheless, the government is sensitive to criticism from broadcasters and national newspapers, which may explain the introduction of a question from the public at the daily Downing Street press conferences to undermine the domination of proceedings by the major media.

Although these are difficult times for journalists, particularly those trying to hold power to account, there is an unprecedented public appetite for pandemic news.

However, a growing number of people are suffering news fatigue. Research published this week by UK media regulator Ofcom shows that 30% of people are actively seeking to avoid news about the pandemic.

The quality of news is what counts. Reliable journalism is essential, not least to counter disinformation, rumour and conspiracy theories.

Ofcom says that around half the population in Britain has encountered fake news about the pandemic. Some of it links coronavirus to the rollout of 5G mobile phone technology, which has led to some people burning down telecoms equipment. Some are taken in by stories that this is a crisis cooked up in a Chinese laboratory. There has even been an official report from the European Union saying many people in Britain believe that vodka makes a good hand sanitiser!

These claims may be absurd, but they are potentially dangerous when they come from governments and people at the top – as shown by Donald Trump with his suggestion that injecting disinfectant might kill off coronavirus, or Brazilian President Jiar Bolsonaro’s reckless dismissal of concern over the pandemic while thousands of his people are dying.

It is irresponsible political leadership and deceptive handling of the facts that may explain why some people are struggling to know who or what to believe.

It’s in this context that we should pay tribute to good honest journalists and news media trying to tell the story with style and humanity.

Media could be doing more – they could, for example, provide resources to help readers navigate news and dodgy information – but journalists’ work is a vital part of strategies for public safety and holding power to account. That’s worth remembering today of all days.