Journalism 2.0
A Manifesto
Journalism has long been an interest of mine. Together with like-minded individuals, I’ve been exploring ways to enhance and reinvent the field.
This “living manifesto” outlines our vision and will guide the projects we undertake.
Your feedback, especially on what is missing, is sincerely appreciated. 🙏
1. Differentiate Fact from Opinion
All journalistic content comprises two distinct parts: the objective, often referred to as “facts,” which should be universally accepted regardless of political, economic, or social perspectives; and the subjective, which includes opinions, interpretations, and conclusions that may not be universally shared.
The frequent blurring of these two elements undermines trust and clarity. To address this, we must develop better methods for distinguishing between them, such as:
- Clearer attribution of objective facts.
- Enhancing access for the public to the same factual sources (e.g., statistics, databases, original press releases) used in journalistic reporting.
- Clearly labelling opinion articles, editorials, and analysis pieces to prevent them from being mistaken for objective reporting.
2. Liberate News from social media and “The Algorithm”
Today, news is often consumed as part of a broader social media feed, mingled with gossip, jokes, and pornography. Many journalists and news organizations have accepted this as the inevitable future, choosing to integrate with social media rather than challenge it.
But has this approach truly succeeded? Is it time to consider an alternative What if news could be reimagined and rebranded to be consumed independently and distinctly from social media?
This separation could restore focus, credibility, and trust in journalism, allowing news to stand on its own, free from the noise and manipulation of social media algorithms.
3. Educate News Consumers
Even a professor with three PhDs can be entirely unaware of how to critically consume news. This highlights the importance of integrating Media Literacy into our education system, especially from an early age.
Media literacy goes beyond simply consuming news; it involves understanding media’s influence, recognizing bias, and distinguishing between reliable and unreliable sources.
A dedicated effort is needed to advocate for media literacy programs in schools and ongoing public education campaigns to equip individuals with the skills to navigate today’s complex media landscape.
4. Promote Practical Journalism
“Practical Journalism” refers to a form of journalism that delivers tangible benefits to consumers in their daily lives by providing actionable insights, guidance, and information that can be directly applied to real-world situations.
A special case of Practical Journalism, might be Local Journalism, providing consumers with meaningful news close to them.
5. Encourage a healthier information diet
Excessive consumption of information has become a widespread issue, contributing to various negative outcomes, most notably a growing mental health crisis.
Paradoxically, to improve the quality of news consumption, individuals may need to significantly reduce the amount of news they consume.
