JOURNALISM can often be described as dogged.
But going out there and getting the story is only part of the job. Dr Shailendra Singh of the USP School of Journalism issued a reminder that the roles of journalists can vary: watchdog, attack dog, guide dog, or perhaps the one to which writers should least aspire – lapdog.
Singh—a former journalist—was speaking as the USP School of Journalism commemorated World Freedom of the Press Day today, by holding a panel discussion on the theme: Shaping a Future at Peace – Exploring media’s role in divided societies: can media be both peacemaker and watchdog?
It is a theme particularly relevant to Fiji—given the checkered political history and the withdrawal of the Media Industry Development Act—which has given journalists a lot more scope in terms of how they report and also helped tone down tendencies toward self-censorship.
Chief Guest Hon Shalen Kumar, Fiji’s Assistant Minister for Multi-ethnic affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts, was confident those days were in the past.
“There was a recent period when the Media Industry Development Act imposed significant restrictions on journalism and media organisations,” he said.
“It created an environment of self-censorship and limited space for investigative journalism. Today, I say with confidence, those days are over.”
The media landscape is rapidly changing though, with the rise of social media, citizen journalism and Artificial Intelligence.
Keynote Speaker Heike Alefsen said: “We live in an age where social media can reach millions of people within seconds. It’s often hard to separate facts from fiction. And digital and manipulated content is being used to shape narratives that are unchecked or unchallenged.”
Panel discussions like today’s, said Alefsen, were important and timely.
“This panel discussion, will help policymakers better understand the realities on the ground,” she said.
“They will highlight emerging risks and also offer practical perspectives on how policies can respond. And that is why it’s so important to have this event here in the panel, a dialogue that you’re going to have, because you’re going to be bridging the gap between knowledge and practice and policy.
“And your voices will matter, and the voices of the audience, of course, also will matter both as current and as future peacekeepers and watchdogs.’’
Thomas Jefferson perhaps put it best.
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
