HomeHomeDecember 2006
Should We Blame the Messengers?
Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, recently gave a speech to students at Roehampton University in the UK. According to the online Independent, Ms. Blair verbally attacked journalists, saying that they have no ethics and are not part of a noble calling.
It is difficult for the average person to imagine what public figures or celebrities have to endure when it comes to media coverage, loss of privacy, and issues of fair reporting. However, is there merit to Ms. Blair's charges? Should the entire profession be condemned for the questionable ethical choices of a few journalists/editors/media moguls or for those news outlets that steadily supply the most sensational crime/sex/government rip-off "scandal" stories?
A sad example of a new low in "journalism" occurred only a few weeks ago, when the Fox network planned to air a special interview with O.J. Simpson and was supposed to have included questions about the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. The jaw-dropping subject of the interview, "If I had done it," resulted in public outcry and the cancellation of the program. What was Rupert Murdoch thinking? In light of this episode, Ms. Blair's charges may seem somewhat reasonable.
A Changing World of Stories
While technological changes are rapidly bringing about the eventual "marriage" of the Internet and television, the journalism profession is changing just as quickly. Newspapers are struggling to maintain profitability as readership declines and youthful consumers turn to online sources of news and entertainment, and information.
Because news organizations are struggling to find ways to make online news services profitable, stories tend to be consumer-driven and oriented to a youth market. Reports about shoppers knocking each other over and getting into fights over the latest computer products such Xbox or Nintendo's Wii can dominate the web. Do "lead" stories about consumers sleeping overnight in front of stores in order to catch "early bird" or limited edition items really contribute to the greater good of a society?
And, amid all these technological and societal changes, one of the biggest ironies of all is this: While newsroom job cuts are becoming commonplace, there's an overabundance of information available. How will having fewer trained professional journalists in the field result in better stories? How will society benefit from the changes taking place in the news business right now? Will stories about justice, fairness, and equality for the poorest of the poor be "lost" in the mix? And what will happen to stories about the world's women?
The Benefits of Technology
Fortunately, there are many journalists who are working hard and even risking their lives to cover stories of war, poverty, and corruption. Thanks to the Internet, information is available for those who want to know more. The following are three of many examples:
Pink Magazine is currently featuring Della de Lafuente's online exclusive story "Live From Iraq: Women War Journalists in the Line of Fire" about three female war correspondents: Lara Logan, Teri Okita, and Arwa Damon.
And in another example, on November 20th in New York City, the International Center for Journalists hosted "Struggling for a Voice: Muslim Women Reporters on Culture and Conflict." ICJ President Joyce Barnathan moderated a panel featuring Shadha al-Jubori, head of the BBC's Arabic-language service in Baghdad, and Bagila Bukharbayeva, Central Asia correspondent for the Associated Press.
Finally, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists keeps an account of the journalists killed each year in the line of duty. On its 25th Anniversary, the Committee recently recognized 4 outstanding journalists.
Ultimately, it is up to the consumers of news to support those journalists who risk life and limb to tell us stories of our changing world. If we demand crime stories, that is what will be provided; however, if we demand to know the truth about governments, people and places, those are the stories that will take the lead in our webcasts, newscasts and newspapers.
Teresa
tcallies@Hotmail.com
News from WITNE friends
The YWCA of England and Wales is one of many charities and non-profit organizations working to eradicate poverty in the UK by focusing on the plight of young women. You can learn more about their policies here.
The Global Fund for Women is a recipient of the 2007 Social Capitalist Award by Fast Company Magazine. This organization was "selected as one of 45 top non-profit organization using the tools of business to solve the world's most pressing social problems."
The Women's Library, located at London Metropolitan University, houses "the most extensive collection of women's history in the United Kingdom." Their current exhibition is entitled "Prostitution: What's Going On?" It explores "the issues surrounding prostitution and trafficking, in the past and the present."
Storyteller Noa Baum continues to travel the world, performing her one-woman show, "A Land Twice Promised." Here is a link to her article about storytelling and conflict.
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