Deep in the south of Egypt a young woman once told me: “Being a journalist at a local newspaper has given me the opportunity to discover and assert who I am; what my community is, and what it needs – not be told who we are, and are supposed to be.”
As we near World News Day I am reminded of the adage “democracy is local” (Thomas Jefferson, all the way back then); the work of journalists in their communities is nothing short of an expression of agency, citizenship and empowerment that are the building blocks of democracy.
Everyone’s eyes focus on elections, big events and major changes when considering the viability of actions to bring about democracy.
But from where I stand it is the daily hard work of citizenship on the small scale that can eventually build sustainable understanding and commitment to effective, inclusive democracy. And the work of those committed journalists who go to work everyday to report on and for their communities are central to that process.
This is not an easy job. Building, managing and sustaining local, public service journalism capable of playing critical roles in supporting their communities is more often than not a thankless task.
Across the world money has dried up as the business of journalism has been threatened by big tech, jobs have been shed, quality has been compromised, resources are fragmented and the value of journalism is constantly contested.
Closing information spaces is an increasingly high risk. Just look at the past eleven months in Gaza where Israel has killed an unprecedented number of journalists with impunity. The latest count by CPJ documents at least 116 journalists killed in this war. And it is not just lives we are losing; credibility, too.
“Beware: if you continue to lie, you will grow up to be a CNN journalist,” quipped a popular meme in Arabic at the advent of the carnage against Palestinians in Gaza. And there were variations: a BBC journalist, etc.
The trust in Western media’s impartiality and standards has been sorely tested – and not just in the Arabic-speaking world, bringing back the ghosts of post 9/11 coverage, the Iraq War and even coverage of Trump and US elections.
And it seems that the very people we aim to serve are also increasingly jaded by mis-information/dis-information campaigns and audience mis-trust and avoidance are daily realities.
We know, from our work in the heart of communities and from the disturbing trends that have paralleled the demise of local journalism, that independent journalism is critical in exploring and upholding truth.
“It is such a hard job,” confides a journalist as he mopped the sweat off of his brow in a field where he was reporting on farmers’ struggles in Egypt. And yet he stood his ground – and because he did, his community could find reliable information and make informed decisions about their daily lives.
He is not an internationally recognized figure; people rarely know the rank and file. But his work embodies the heart and soul of what journalism is – an act of service.
We have lived firsthand the dangers posed to democracy by losing independent – particularly local – media. We are now confident in the knowledge that the survival of a diverse, proficient media sector is an essential cornerstone in that pursuit of humanity and freedom.
We can have no more doubts with regards to the threat monopolies of big tech companies pose to our profession, and can think clearly about the value journalism brings to society and where we need to re-trench and set up boundaries.
The examples of those grasping this moment are out there: journalist-owned media outlets for some, print houses and products for others, community engagement for many – and that is just some of what is being done.
The rest is up to you: our audiences and communities. Tell us what you need. Support news organisations that are prioritising good journalism and public service. Make good and informed choices with regards to what media you consume. Because only together can we build a thriving, responsive journalism ecosystem in support of justice and truth.
Fatemah Farag is the Founder and Director of Welad ElBalad Media, Egypt.
This article was produced as part of the World News Day campaign to highlight the importance of journalism.
