The Nobel Goes to Fearless, Tireless Journalism

The Nobel Peace Prize 2021 goes to two fearless, tireless fighters. They kept fighting so that the mass manipulation and tyranny of the powerful and rich are exposed; and the masses are left with some chances of living in truth and peace.

As a teaching faculty in the department  of Mass Media I have the privilege of attending talks, webinars, and interactions by eminent and not so eminent journalists and media practitioners. Yesterday, for example, we had a webinar on ‘Women in Media’ by Sandhya Menon, who passionately and with great detail spoke about her call as a journalist, and her beginnings as a news reporter. She completed her talk and it was time for interaction and questions. And this time too, with no exception to other times, the same question was asked in apprehension and fear by the journalism students, ‘what are the major challenges we encounter as journalists today? And how do we face them? Answer to the first question is easy because there are depressingly plenty of challenges: from personal risks to fighting fake news to abuse of power and mass manipulation. Most serious and genuine journalists pause before answering the second question, because there are no easy answers. The sentences go shorter. The often-heard answer is fight, do not compromise, you often know that you will not succeed, yet go down fighting.

Journalists today, on the one hand, are in the best of times because of the technological advancements and the ease of conducting business; but on the other hand, these are terrifyingly difficult times for journalists because of the obstacles and hurdles involved in reporting facts and speaking truth to power. Around the world, a new generation of authoritarian and populist leaders is leading a concerted and intentional assault on truth, with serious consequences for journalists.

Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov

It is at these confusing and bewildered times the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. Maria Ressa has faced multiple criminal charges for the way her news website Rappler has challenged the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte. Dmitri Muratov, though his newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, has been a persistent critic of President Vladimir V. Putin. Both have worked under governments that use a range of methods — from repressive legislation to arrests, torture and even killing. 2020 saw the highest number of journalists being imprisoned since 1992. Journalists like Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov were committed to exposing corruption, documenting abuse and combatting misinformation. With this not so common Nobel Peace Prize to Journalists the famous lines of Ressa will be echoed again “We are journalists, and we will not be intimidated. We will shine the light. We will hold the line.”

Maria Ressa’s Battle for Truth  in the Digital Age 

One of the early realisations of Maria Ressa about Philippines, her country and about other manipulative regimes is that “If you can make people believe lies are the facts then you can control them.” Most authoritarian rulers and regimes do it comfortably theses days with the help of mass media, especially social media. They go after facts, destroy facts and rip democracies apart. Ressa acknowledges the three typical steps involved in this tragedy:

1. You lie. Not once but repeatedly. When we say a lie a million times, it replaces truth. The manipulative regimes flood the society with lies, false news, and disinformation.

2. Keep accusing. Keep saying that it is your opponents and the journalists who are lying; and create an ‘us against them’ narrative. Ressa talks about ‘Patriotic trolling’: it is a state-sponsored online hate and harassment campaign to silence and intimidate.

3. At some point everyone looks around and says, “what is truth? There is no truth. This is the point where the manipulative regimes begin their victory parade.

With this resistance becomes impossible and the game is over. With this the role  of serious honest journalists become harder and unkind. How do we fight back, when the government and other powerful people succeed in spreading lies? Ressa categorically says, fight back with data; fight back by discovering and knowing what reality is, and tirelessly and fearlessly making them known to others.

Fighting Back with Data

Without facts/data we cannot have truth; without truth we cannot have trust. Without these three valuable components, democracies as we know are dead. What do we do as journalists? Start with your area of influence, says Ressa, first tell your family and friends; begin by taking care of what is in front of us. In whatever capacity possible, demand accountability from power; stand up against bullies; and report lies. Lies travel faster; facts are kind of boring. Have patience. Slowly but surely, we will find others gathering courage around us, because courage is contagious.

In the Philippines, the Internet largely exists on Facebook, because the platform offers free data through its mobile application. Ressa’s re- porters exposed dozens of fake and spam-heavy accounts of the president Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters. They had systematically manipulated the online discourses to fit their narrative; and the sad fact is that the common people slowly had mistakenly taken it for reality. For all the works done by Ressa and her team, she and those worked with her were subjected to an on- line hate campaign and multiple arrests. Maria Ressa, in spite of multiple arrests and retentions says with charisma, “We know it’s a tough time to be a journalist. But I think what strengthens all of us is that there is probably no better time to be a journalist, because this is when we live our values and we live our mission.”

Governments, establishments and people, both left and right, have issues with the growing power of Media, especially the digital social media. The conservative right wing governments fear that these platforms provide systemic support and encourage free speech and freedom of expression. The more liberal, left wing governments fear that these digital social media platforms give room for fragile data privacy and fake news propagation. Journalism in the age of digital social media and growing authoritarian populism is a constant challenge to promote truth; and hold on to it.

Comments

Visual Analysis: SEMIOTICS

Visual analysis is a systematic and scientific approach to examining visual materials that goes far beyond casual observation. In our visually saturated world, images have become a inescapable universal language that shapes our perceptions, attitudes, and experiences. From the artworks adorning gallery walls to the advertisements lining city streets, visuals communicate narratives, evoke emotions, and reflect sociocultural ideologies. However, the process of seeing and interpreting visuals is not as spontaneous or natural as we often assume. As John Berger notably stated, "seeing is an active decision," suggesting that the process of interpreting visuals is neither spontaneous nor natural, but rather requires conscious effort and critical thinking. The way we perceive and interpret visual content is heavily influenced by habits, conventions, and our individual perspectives. Serious visual analyses requires conscious effort and critical analysis to unravel the laye...

A Critical Visual Analysis of Jan Banning's ‘Bureaucratics’

Jan Banning's photographic series Bureaucratics offers a remarkable anthropological study of civil servants across eight countries, revealing how power, hierarchy, and cultural identity manifest in governmental spaces. Through meticulously composed photographs taken from a citizen's perspective, Banning unveils the theatre of bureaucracy the most immediate visual impact comes from Banning's consistent methodology: each photograph is taken from the same height and distance, positioning the viewer in the role of a citizen approaching the bureaucrat's desk. The bureaucrats are photographed in their natural habitat – their offices – which become stages where power dynamics and cultural values are performed daily. Make visual analysis of Bureaucratics by Jan Banning given below. Bureaucratics by Jan Banning PDF (for academic use only) In examining the spatial arrangements, a clear pattern emerges: the desk serves as both barrier and symbol of authority. In many image...

Sigmund Freud on Creative Writing and Day-Dreaming

Freud in his essay, Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming, explores the psychological origins of artistic creativity and the impact of literature on readers. He draws parallels between the imaginative activity of creative writers and the day-dreaming of ordinary people. It is a discussion about the relationship between creative art and unconscious phantasy. In it, Freud talks about the role of daydreaming and fantasy in human behaviour, and how creative writers are able to express their daydreams without shame or self-reproach. Read the essay below (for academic use only) Creative Writers and Day Dreaming PDF Freud argues that the child's play and the adult's phantasies/daydreams share a common element—the desire to alter an unsatisfactory reality and fulfil unfulfilled wishes. The creative writer is like a successful daydreamer who is able to transform their private fantasies into works that provide pleasure to the audience. Freud suggests that the writer's choice of subject...

Sound Recording for Films: A Crucial Element of Cinematic Storytelling

Sound recording is a fundamental aspect of filmmaking that significantly contributes to the overall cinematic experience. It is the process of capturing and recording audio elements that complement the on-screen visuals. These audio elements form the foundation for creating an immersive auditory experience that enhances the film's storytelling and emotional impact. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Sound Recording for Films PDF The components of a film's soundscape are diverse and multifaceted. They include dialogues , which are the actors' spoken lines recorded on set or dubbed later; Foley sounds, which represent the actors' interactions with their surroundings and add authenticity to scenes; ambient sound, which creates a subtle background soundscape to transport the audience to the film's environment; music or score, which evokes emotion and enhances the narrative; and sound effects , which augment the film's realism and atmosphere. To capture ...

The Evolution of Art Styles Through History

The journey of human artistic expression spans millennia, evolving from primitive cave paintings to today's digital creations and conceptual installations. This evolution reflects not just changing techniques and materials, but also the transforming human consciousness, societal values, and technological capabilities across different eras. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Evolution of Art PDF Prehistoric Era (Before 8th Century BCE): The dawn of human artistic expression began in prehistoric times, characterised by raw, primal representations of daily life, hunting scenes, and spiritual beliefs. Cave paintings and rock art served as humanity's first canvas, using natural pigments to capture the essence of their existence. These early artists laid the foundation for all future artistic expression, demonstrating humanity's inherent need to create and communicate through visual means. Classical Period (8th Century BCE - 5th Century CE) : The Classical period, domi...

Photojournalists Covering Traumatic Events

The article, The difficulty of documenting a tragedy, discusses the challenges photojournalists face when covering tragedies and disasters. The author, Thulasi Kakkat, notes that most journalists have no training in saving lives or rescuing people during emergencies. Yet they are compelled to rush to the scene of accidents and calamities to document the events unfolding. At the site of a disaster, a photojournalist is expected to remain objective and convey the reality of the situation through images, even though they may be confronted with disturbing and emotional scenes. The article cites the example of a photojournalist who covered a building collapse in Kerala, India, where several construction workers were trapped and injured. The journalist wanted to get an image of the workers caught under the debris, but felt conflicted about his responsibility to simply document versus intervene to help. Kevin Carter lived this conflict. His photograph of a dying child, The Vulture and t...

Left, Right, Centre, and Gandhiji

Every politician, when he leaves office, ought to go straight to jail and serve his time, thus goes an American folk saying. Politics and politicians have come to be synonymous with dishonesty, favouritism, and corruption. This perhaps is the underlying reasoning for many good and competent people to stay away from active politics; and many corrupt and incompetent people to get attracted to active politics. The good people’s silence and inaction make it easy for the wicked people to fill the world with their opinions, lies, and propaganda; and establish their agendas and actions as normal and standard. For Gandhi, being political was not a choice, but an imperative. He famously said, “Anyone who says they are not interested in politics is like a drowning man who insists he is not interested in water.” Gandhi returned to India on 19 December 1914, after his sojourn in England and South Africa, as quite a matured man of forty-five, having seen the worlds of exploiters and the exploi...

photo.graph.art.design

Search This Blog