by Kathy English
Kathy English, chairperson of the board of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, served as public editor of the Toronto Star for 13 years. She was a Journalism Fellow at the Reuters Institute in 2020/21
NOTE: I have abbreviated this article and added some comments re the SA conundrum. Full article appears https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-26-journalismmatters-first-choose-truth Steuart Pennington
#JournalismMatters: First, Choose Truth
Writes Kathy English, “The theme of this year’s World News Day, 28 September, “Choose Truth”, is the first global campaign from Project Kontinuum, which was established by Daily Maverick founder and editor-in-chief Branko Brkic, to reaffirm journalism’s critical role throughout the world. This message could not be more critical or more timely.
Journalism has long been, first and foremost, a calling to seek and report the truth.
“Truth should be their idol, their first and last consideration always,” stated an 1853 article titled Truth in Journalism, published in Scientific American Magazine.
“Seek truth and report it,” states the first ethic of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, first drafted in 1926.
“Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth,” echoes Principle 1 of The Elements of Journalism, the now classic 2001 work that speaks to the essential responsibilities of journalists.
This year, on World News Day, a global initiative to draw public attention to the role that journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information that serves citizens and democracy, we draw together around the world to “Choose Truth”.
World News Day is organised by the Canadian Journalism Foundation, the World Editors Forum and the South Africa-based Daily Maverick’s Project Kontinuum. The annual September initiative was first launched by the Canadian Journalism Foundation in 2018 to enhance the relationship between the news industry and its audiences. From the outset, the goal was to create a greater public understanding of why quality journalism matters – especially in a world polluted by misinformation.
The theme of this year’s World News Day, “Choose Truth”, is the first global campaign from Project Kontinuum, which was established by Daily Maverick founder and former editor-in-chief Branko Brkic, to reaffirm journalism’s critical role throughout the world.
This message could not be more critical or more timely.
In a world in which we have increasingly witnessed fiction become fact and misinformation turn mainstream, choosing truth has perhaps never been more important – or more difficult.
For the public, this means the need to distinguish between real news and rumours.
The truth is, quality journalism in the public interest matters.
Facts matter, truth matters.
Kathy English concludes, “On this World News Day, we must all – journalists and citizens alike – Choose Truth.”
I couldn’t agree more!
The South African Conundrum
Steuart Pennington writes, “As editor of www.sagoodnews.co.za I constantly read, and listen to, journalists who will have it that, amongst other things:
- We are the ‘worst in the world’ across a range of measures. There are 195 countries in the world, does that mean we come 195th? Or is it just that we come 38th in a survey of 40 countries and that makes us ‘worst in the world’?
- We are the most unequal society in the world as measured by the GINI co-efficient, twice as unequal as India?
- 55% of South Africans live in poverty, is that abject poverty, moderate poverty or relative poverty? Important differences.
- Our university standards are dropping. There are 25 000 registered universities globally, 11 of our 26 are ranked in the top 1000, and in most cases their rankings have improved.
Example
Just recently Arne Holzhausen editor of Allianz’s ‘Global Wealth Report’ https://www.allianz.com/content/dam/onemarketing/azcom/ has this to say on both TV news and radio “There has been no progress in distribution of wealth in SA over the last 20 years, SA remains amongst the most and equal countries in the world in terms of wealth distribution.”
Here’s my 1st problem, neither the talk show host or the TV presenter challenged him, in fact more than that, they agreed with him.
I recently asked a group of 20 journalists to answer the questions below:
- SA’s population growth is a) 10thfastest; b) 40th fastest; c) 60th fastest globally
- SA’s economy, as measured by GDP is the a) 38th largest; b) 56th largest c) 108th largest globally
- SA’s urban population living in shanty towns is ranked a) 24th highest; b) 54thhighest; c) 74th highest globally
- SA’s beer consumption, litres per capita is ranked a) 1st ; b) 20th ; c) 30th largest globally
- SA’s ratio of Doctors per 1000 population is ranked a) 35th b) 65th c) 125th highest globally
The average number of correct answers was 2/5
Answers: c) a) c) c) a)
Shouldn’t our journalists make it their business to do some research before interviewing an ‘authority’ so that they have some context and some facts to get to the ‘truth’?
Here’s my 2nd problem, our SA Press Code states (summarised)
SA PRESS CODE
The primary purpose of gathering and distributing news and opinion is to serve society by informing citizens and enabling them to make informed judgments on the issues of the time; and the freedom of the press allows for an independent scrutiny to bear on the forces that shape society.
1. Reporting of News
1.1 The press shall be obliged to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly.
1.2 News shall be presented in context and in a balanced manner, without any intentional or negligent departure from the facts whether by:
1.2.1 Distortion, exaggeration or misrepresentation.
1.2.2 Material omissions; or
1.2.3 Summarisation.
1.3 Only what may reasonably be true, having regard to the sources of the news, may be presented as fact, and such facts shall be published fairly with due regard to context and importance. Where a report is not based on facts or is founded on opinions, allegation, rumour or supposition, it shall be presented in such manner as to indicate this clearly.
1.4 Where there is reason to doubt the accuracy of a report and it is practicable to verify the accuracy thereof, it shall be verified. Where it has not been practicable to verify the accuracy of a report, this shall be mentioned in such report.
So why then is our ‘news’ overwhelmingly ‘gloom and doom’ with little context, negligible balance and often factually incorrect? Truly is ‘good news’ ‘no news’?
And why isn’t distortion, misrepresentation or exaggeration being challenged by our talk show hosts, TV presenters, and mainstream media journalists? Is it because they haven’t done any homework and don’t know any better?
Much to ponder on as we celebrate ‘WORLD NEWS DAY’ and ‘Choose Truth’
