In Egypt’s southern hinterland, a young woman once told me, “Being a reporter for a local newspaper gave me the opportunity to discover and speak out for who I am and what my community needs, rather than being told who we are or what we should be.”
As World News Day approaches, I am reminded of the adage (the old Thomas Jefferson quote) that “democracy is local.” The work of journalists in communities is an expression of the agency, citizenship and empowerment that are the foundation of democracy.
When we think about the feasibility of taking action to realize democracy, everyone focuses on elections, big events, and big changes.
But from my perspective, it is our hard work, day in and day out, as small-scale citizens that will ultimately build a sustainable understanding of and engagement with an effective, inclusive democracy. The work of committed journalists who go to work every day about and for their communities is central to that process.
This is not an easy job: building, managing and sustaining local public service journalism, which can play a vital role in supporting our communities, is often a thankless job.
Funding is drying up all over the world as the business of journalism is threatened by big tech companies, jobs are lost, quality declines, resources are dispersed, and the value of journalism is constantly challenged.
Closing information spaces carries ever-greater risks. Consider the situation in Gaza, where Israel has killed an unprecedented number of journalists with impunity over the past 11 months. CPJ’s latest tally recorded at least 116 journalists killed in this war. We are not only losing lives, but also credibility.
“Watch out, if you keep lying you’ll end up a CNN journalist” is a meme that went viral in Arabic at the start of the massacres against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. There were many variations, including a BBC journalist.
Trust in the impartiality and standards of Western media is being severely tested, and not only in Arabic-speaking countries, with the ghosts of post-9/11 reporting, the Iraq war and even coverage of Donald Trump and the US elections coming back to haunt us.
The people we aim to serve are themselves increasingly tired of misinformation and disinformation campaigns, and audience distrust and avoidance seem to be an everyday reality.
We know from our work in the heart of our communities and from the worrying trends occurring alongside the decline of local journalism that independent journalism is essential to seeking and defending the truth.
“It’s really hard work,” confided one journalist covering the plight of Egyptian farmers as he wiped sweat from his brow in the fields. But he stood his ground — and because he did, his community was able to find reliable information and make informed decisions about their daily lives.
He is not an internationally recognized figure — the public barely knows who he is — but his work embodies the essence of journalism: an act of service.
We have seen firsthand the dangers that losing independent media, especially local media, puts our democracy at risk, and we now believe that a diverse and capable media sector is a vital foundation for our humanity and the pursuit of freedom.
We no longer need to be in doubt about the threat that big tech monopolies pose to our profession, and we can think clearly about the value journalism brings to society and where we need to draw trenches and set boundaries.
Examples of people seizing this moment are everywhere: journalist-owned media, printers and products, and the community involvement of so many. And that’s just a small part of what’s being done.
The rest is up to you, our viewers and communities. Tell us what you need. Support news organizations that prioritize good journalism and public service. Make good, informed choices about which media you consume. Because only together can we build a vibrant and responsive journalism ecosystem that supports justice and truth.
Fatema Farag is the founder and director of Egypt’s Welad ElBalad Media.
This article has been produced as part of the World News Day campaign to highlight the importance of journalism. Deccan Herald is a participant in the campaign.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of DH.