The A to Z of isms... Journalism.
Journalism is a product of modern history
and it's shaped by the politics of the places where it works.
In liberal democracies, it's based on the ideals
that knowledge is important, that expression should be free
and that reliable information is good for society.
It's been driven by the invention of new technologies
such as paper, printing, electricity, photography
and now of course, digital,
social media, the internet. It's changed radically over time -
from medieval scribes recording war and taxes
to paid pamphleteers in coffee shops waging political battles,
to mass market newspapers that use new tech, like trains and telephones,
to gather and spread the news,
to television and radio that allowed us to see, hear and connect
with the rest of the world.
The BBC's Richard Dimbleby's radio reports
from Belsen concentration camp
brought the horrors of the Holocaust to the world.
Television journalists like Dan Rather
and photographers such as Don McCullin
showed America the brutal reality of Vietnam,
and reporters from the Washington Post Metro desk
forced a presidential resignation over Watergate.
As journalism became more influential so politicians battled to control it.
Journalism was always about power.
Power over information, holding power to account or providing propaganda.
It claimed to make and break careers, swing elections and even start wars.
It's produced heroes who have revealed scandals
such as systematic child abuse by paedophile priests.
It's also created monsters who ruined lives and broke the law
such as the journalist who 'hacked' into people's phones.
Now it's all changing again.
Automatic software programs are writing 'bot journalism'
citizens broadcast on their phones.
Algorithms created by huge technology companies
shape the flow of news as people like or retweet
the facts and opinions they want to share.
That's meant an explosion of content,
a tidal wave of information,
much of it false, furious and fractious.
People are confused about what to trust, uncertain what is true,
fearful of the anger, conflict and bias they find online.
We're in an age when populist leaders and shadowy interest groups
use the cliche 'fake news'
to attack journalists and deliberately mislead the public.
So why did journalism fail to see all this coming?
Do we even need journalists anymore?
Fake news is actually good news for trustworthy, reliable journalism.
It's a chance for the news media to show why they're needed -
to sort out the truth from lies and speak for the citizen.
The digital age is a chance for journalism to reinvent itself
with new tools such as virtual reality or artificial intelligence.
The internet provides massive competition for the mainstream media
but it also offers pathways to new business models
such as membership, subscription and collaboration.
Most of all it offers an opportunity for journalism to get back in touch -
to be more diverse, relevant and engaging.
In a social world where emotions and values drive our communications
journalism needs to rediscover the human touch
and also to get back some key traditional ideals -
to be reliable, responsible and to tell the stories that help to explain
our complicated and often frightening world.
Thanks for watching! :)
Don’t forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos. See you again soon!