Who is a journalist?

The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) has been engaged as a stakeholder with the Special Select Committee (Senate) appointed to consider and report on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) (No 3) Bill, 2021.

The bill essentially seeks to criminalise voyeurism and taking and sharing intimate/sexual photographs of individuals without their consent While no one can argue that this protection against causing ‘humiliation or distress’ to others is ethical, the MATT’s concern was that journalists like the police should not be criminalised. We suggested they fall under a wider definition of ‘public interest’ within ‘the lawful execution of duty.’ This exercise brought up a question asked with increasing urgency.

‘Who is a journalist?’ Thomas Carlyle, philosopher and historian, attributed the term Fourth Estate to British statesman Edmund Burke. “Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.”

That has stuck. Democracy hinges on the Fourth Estate, holding those in power accountable, informing governments, giving voice to the voiceless.

This is why we journalists take our work seriously, personally and why we may come across as pugnacious intractable even to our media owners and the public and perhaps why we are often so abused and treated with contempt.

The charge is greater than ourselves (which is why so many journalists neglect their health, eat poorly, and, under the perpetual stress of deadlines, often die young). We are clocking obituaries of our fallen comrades with heartbreaking increasing frequency. Journalism, like medicine, is a profession and a vocation, but un- like medicine (while there are degrees and master’s programmes), there are no standard exams. Journalism, like English law, has developed over time through precedence and a widely accepted tacit understanding of what we do and how we do it.

The trouble is, though, although we know what we do, others don’t, and we get questions like, ‘Why don’t you report good news on your front page?’ The short, curt answer from a busy hack chasing deadlines is ‘if you want feel-good news, go to the Disney channel, or put your head under the sand.’ The longer answer is journalists buttress democracy—we hold those with power accountable, support an open and civil exchange of views, serve as watchdogs on governance, chase transparency and reliable sources, report with context, and without plagiarism while labelling advocacy and commentary. We seek out the most hidden corners of injustice and neglect and tell stories of the voiceless.

Enter the rise of ‘citizen journalists’, disinformation and misinformation in this age of social media.

During the pandemic it came from anti-vaxxers selling alternate medicine or science distorting doctors outside the system, and people so frightened by the disinformation they began to perpetuate it. Just as the tsunami of misinformation costs lives, it erodes democracy and perpetuates injustice. Anyone with a connection and device had an instant multimedia platform, once the sole remit of journalists.

Millions use social media as carelessly as children driving a truck into a crowd because they don’t understand the responsibility that comes with the power of broadcasting information.

I hope that the Ukraine invasion coverage makes it easier for people to understand what a journalist is.

I’m hoping people aren’t asking friends and psychics what’s happening to Putin’s war and its global reach, but turning to political scientists, reputable local, regional and international media such as Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC.

The gift of the digital age allowing wide access to news from multiple online sources is undeniable. Its underbelly, an unfiltered ocean of opinion has put traditional journalism under threat. Just as many anti-vaxxers lost lives to disinformation online, democracy could come under threat if newspaper circulation/ advertising declines further.

T&T’s journalism is robust. In 2021 our World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders) shot up to five places to 31st out of 36th out of 180 countries in 2021, amid a pandemic.

Media owners are not running soft drink factories. Many have understood that. They are running at a loss, knowing their business holds governments accountable and builds strong democracies. They understand they have a duty to support this fraternity. Media bosses and advertisers in media houses must know that when they employ/support a journalist, they implicitly become part of a strong civic society, and this noble venture of supporting journalists is worthy of the same sacrifice journalists bring to their jobs every day.