In this first column of 2021, after a year of pandemic-induced hardships, I return to the topic that has been close to my heart for nearly four decades: journalism as a metaphor for hope. From reports on war to investigations that bring out the failures of the various arms of modern nation states, journalism’s focus is often on all the darkness around us but this is aimed at eventually bringing light to our lives.
Past, present and future
The Canadian media scholar, Herbert Marshall McLuhan, observed: “We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future.” His 1964 book, Understanding Media, was written with a perspective that human beings are “shuffling toward the twenty-first century in the shackles of nineteenth century perceptions.” At some level, past was presented both as a burden and Utopia in McLuhan’s analysis. But writer Toni Morrison looked at the rear-view mirror from a different point of view. Her fulcrum was firmly rooted in an egalitarian future — a destination towards which we drive with nearly 25% focus on the rear-view mirror (or the past) and 75% focus on the road called the present.
In her brilliant six-part ‘The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures’ at Harvard University, Morrison demonstrated how to be aware of the harshness of the past and the present and work out a way forward. She said: “But for humans as an advanced species, our tendency to separate and judge those not in our clan as the enemy, as the vulnerable and the deficient needing control, has a long history not limited to the animal world or prehistoric man. Race has been a constant arbiter of difference, as have wealth, class, and gender — each of which is about power and the necessity of control.” Her writings and approach give us not only tools to understand the world but also immense hope despite the reality of a very grim past and present.
I firmly locate good and responsible journalism within her idea of hope where past excesses are not romanticised. The pain and poignancy of struggle never become roadblocks in our march forward; they tend to become guiding markers instead. In this model, the agency is clearly with the citizens and it never gets transferred to strongmen leaders.
Some critics of journalism have asked me over the last few years what the benefits are of the two tracks of journalism: bearing witness and making sense. They argue that journalism focuses on a narrative of gloom that forces many people to avoid news altogether. However, for many, these two tracks contribute to strengthening the agency of citizens as they help them retain their curiosity to know about the happenings around them and cultivate a will for change. Silicon Valley is celebrating ideas like a custom-built news feed, personalisation, and machine learning. Its focus is more on capsuling news and analysis, which are propelled by metrics and analytics. The ideas of ‘echo chambers’ and ‘information silos’ are natural corollaries of this model. At a deeper level, the metrics-driven model looks at the present through a rear-view mirror. It successfully eschews the plurality of views as it focuses excessively on catering to the exclusive needs of an individual or an interest group.
Public good
It is my earnest view that journalism functions as a conscious breaker of silos. It has an inclusive approach where the focus remains on the idea of a public good. Despite the sway of WhatsApp, which has become the fountain head of disinformation, citizens turned to journalism when it mattered most. A survey by YouGov under its Covid-19 Consumer Monitor programme validated my theory that the ‘public good’ element in journalism will protect the sector from the vagaries of the market. The numbers for India are really encouraging. The important find of the survey was that 76% of the respondents in India said they had watched or read more news lately than they did earlier. This was the highest, followed by Japan, with 61%. The survey, contrary to popular belief, found that even those who are worried about the future opt to consume more news rather than avoid it. Journalism creates a better-informed citizenry, which in turn creates a better collective future.
readerseditor@thehindu.co.in