What we’re reading this week
Take a look at some of the things we are currently reading in our newsroom that you should be aware of
CJR | Journalists and the looming superstorm of climate disinformation
Writing in the Columbia Journalism Review, Andrew McCormick unpacks how the power cuts in Texas opened the floodgates of climate disinformation. He writes: “a story that should have been about Texans in need and a harrowing warning of the climate emergency turning life upside down was instead given over to a political mud fight.” While climate disinformation is nothing new, McCormick writes that newsrooms cannot afford to dedicate too much time to intensive fact-checking as this “can come at the expense of actual news”.
The Conversation | Public trust in the media is at a new low: a radical rethink of journalism is needed
Investigative journalist Jacques Pauw recently admitted that he had distorted allegations that he had made in a Daily Maverick column. This was the last thing the already tainted SA media needed, following similar admissions from large publications such as the Sunday Times. “Having ethical lapses on such a major scale can only further erode the public’s trust in the media,” writes Herman Wasserman, professor of media studies at the University of Cape Town. He writes that SA journalism faces the formidable task of trying to regain the public’s trust, especially in light of the “growing crisis of disinformation”. But can this trust be regained and credibility restored? Wasserman believes it can but public apologies and corrections alone will not be enough.
The Guardian | Boris Johnson says he feels guilty about his journalism
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed why he left journalism for politics, saying he felt guilty about “abusing or attacking” people without putting himself in their shoes. Speaking to school kids at a school in London, he would always be a journalist at heart and often “still writes stuff”. But his reflections were met with derision as some in the UK press reflected on his recent writings that were derogatory of certain groups and where he did not put himself in those people’s shoes. A case of honesty backfiring.
Journalism.co.uk | Four ways journalists can protect sources using the ‘deep web’
This is a handy guide for journalists to help them hide from censors when reporting about or within dictatorial countries. Alan Pearce, author of Deep Web For Journalists says the deep dark web can be used as a tool for journalists to protect their sources online. The article unpacks four tools that any reporter can use to that end.
