Between these two journalistic positions there are 28 years and there is a world of differences. When I started working in 1998, journalists were seen as guardians of democracy and truth and enjoyed great credibility with the public.
Today, a lot has changed. The press is under fire from all sides, and its image has suffered great erosion, caused by its own mistakes, certainly, but above all by the effect of digitalization and social networks, political polarization and attacks by populists, who see journalists as “enemies of the people”.
A few days ago, the organization Reporters Without Borders announced that global press freedom is deteriorating sharply – at the lowest level in the last 25 years. Portugal is in 10th place, Brazil has risen in the rankings to 52nd, the United States is in position 64th.
He popularized the expression fake news, calls the reference press “dishonest, corrupt or bankrupt” and makes permanent personal accusations against reporters.
Last week, the government revoked the access of all accredited journalists to the Casa Rosada, an unprecedented measure in Argentine democracy, which calls into question access to information. In Brazil, the presidential candidate also follows his father’s pattern of hostility to the press, accusing it of “lies” and “ideological bias”. In Portugal, the ultra-right spread the expression “jornalixo”.
This concerted and global attack is obviously part of a deliberate political strategy. With the internet, politicians have realized that they can cut corners, bypass these gatekeepers and speak directly to voters, without having to go through the journalistic filter.
The role of the press is, by definition, uncomfortable for the powerful, all of them: they are journalists who scrutinize public life, who ask difficult questions and who point out inconsistencies and falsehoods.
Note: of course, journalists also make mistakes, but they try to obey a code of ethics that commits them to ethical principles and facts. Discrediting and discrediting the press is one of the first ways to undermine democracies from within.
But, as a relative of an Alzheimer’s patient continues to care for him even though he knows he is not recognized, it is up to journalists to continue doing their work, despite the recognition they receive for it being, at this point, disproportionately less than the importance they have for defending the common good.
LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access seven free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.
