“ The work of journalists can be used to create change in society , which can be led by activists .”
Journalists help to discover truth and inform the public . But imprisonment , discrimination , a trolled reputation and even death threats is what they face regularly
BY GRETA RUFFINO
“ The work of journalists can be used to create change in society , which can be led by activists .”
Rima Amin
Watergate , the Washington Post investigation into political corruption , not only changed the course of American history but also marked the birth of a new form of journalism . A profession dedicated to reporting cold hard facts instead became a source of inspiration to young journalists who , for the first time , realised they could uncover hidden truths , challenge authority figures and disseminate information into the public domain for the greater good .
Rima Amin is Manager at IPF , a platform which empowers young journalists to tell stories that have not been reported in the conventional media . She said : “ Journalists are key in challenging areas where work needs to be done . Through their interviews , they are potentially connecting the people to decision makers . They expose stories that aren ’ t in the mainstream already and I also would say that journalists ’ work can be used to create changes in society which can be led by activists . A lot of our collaborators say to us that the people are very grateful that we are covering their causes .” But the exposure of untold facts and the potential for social change is not seen positively by some . For example , earlier this year Donald Trump called the media the “ enemy ” of the people and reporters of “ fake news ” with the aim of belittling the journalism profession and undermining the public trust in the mainstream media . Trump ’ s actions also inspired some organisations to launch a news site to track press freedom violations in the United States , after he denied access to news briefings to organisations such as the BBC , CNN and The Guardian newspaper , while allowing access to conservative publications .
Whilst putting in a great deal of effort to ensure that important facts are not left out , journalists often face challenges and objections- even from their own governments . Those who work in places with limited freedom of expression such as China and Iran , can even risk their lives to tell the full story if it offends the wrong political party . Despite Western press organisations being known for their media freedom , there is still a significant amount of gender and ethnic inequaity within the workplace which affects the representation of both women and minority voices within the UK .
18 | Actus | June 2017