Independence in Journalism..?
The spread of corporate power in the media is a serious threat to quality, independent journalism. Distinguished writers and editors who made their names in the newsrooms some twenty or thirty years ago despair over the loss of mission and conscience in corporate-owned journalism.
But beyond the critique of these concerned individuals a new collective struggle is emerging, about professional standards under increasing media focus which gives way to a better confrontation between journalists and their employers. There are examples of this struggle across the world. In Canada, standards in broadcasting policy are the subject of heated dispute between media staff and regulators; in Germany, Europe’s largest journalists’ union has launched a national campaign to combat it’s ‘dumbing down’ (a concept that involves a claim about the simplification of culture, education, and thought, a decline in creativity and innovation, a degradation of artistic, cultural, and intellectual standards, or in fact the undermining of the very idea of a standard) while Korea’s journalists and civic groups are taking on powerful newspapers in a nationwide campaign for journalistic freedom.
In the past, there had been well known taboo subjects that were regarded as taboo also on newspaper pages – subjects like certain individuals’ afar accounts and their not-so-legal accumulation of wealth. No editor had agreed to work against freedom of the press because there had been no authoritative instruction/ directive from the owners to do so.
Corporate power in media is not letting things through, but it will take unity among media professionals, strong coalitions with the public at large, and political backbone to bring about change that will put quality journalism back on the news agenda, everywhere. This will also be beneficial for the organization itself as it increases the newspapers’ validity and credibility. Conveying or discussing a topic of peoples’ interest and of the nation which is in its best interests is what it is all about; it is freedom of thought and expression for everyone. Also, to act socially responsible and know its responsibility to people, an independent press provides a solid foundation for a free and transparent society.
Nadia Baloch
(BS)MS:III-B
