The world marked the International Press Freedom Day Sunday amid gloom wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has dramatically changed the way we do things.
Covid-19, though a health crisis, is as much an information and economic challenge. It has singularly and within a considerably short period of time crushed media industries and added to the woes that constrict their survival and fulfilment of their mandates.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres compellingly elaborated the world’s current predicament, positing that “as the pandemic spreads, it has also given rise to a second pandemic of misinformation, from harmful health advice to wild conspiracy theories”.
Thus, the cardinal duty of the Press “is to provide the antidote: Verified, scientific, fact-based news and analysis.” Nothing can be truer.
A world traumatised by an inexplicable plague is vulnerable to lies and misinformation peddled through new communication channels and media.
The challenge for journalists is to provide accurate and truthful information to insulate them against merchants of falsehoods and deceptions.
However, the Press is assailed by numerous afflictions. Digital disruption has brought good fortunes as it enhances the practice of communication, particularly journalism.
It has expanded avenues for research and content development. But it has equally demolished the traditional pillars of journalism — circulation and advertising.
Audience aggregation is no longer the preserve of journalists as content production and distribution models have dramatically changed.
Modes of content packaging and consumption have been altered and proprietary rights crushed.
Consequently, the industry has been weakened economically with revenues failing year-on-year and capacity for strong journalism diminished.
Media companies have been forced to lay off qualified and experienced journalists and cut budgets for investigations and strong journalism.
In the end, quality is compromised. Quality journalism is predicated on social, economic and political independence.
When that is shattered, the outcome is an enfeebled profession. Yet quality journalism is the sine qua non for democracy.
Without strong journalism that holds power wielders to account; creates platform for public discourse, and offers alternative voice away from the established narrative, a society is all the worse.
The continued survival of media industries as independent entities must, therefore, be a subject of concern to all citizens.
Weak media is inimical to democracy. The government has to create conducive environment for press freedoms, including fair set-up for doing business.
Economic strangulation like withholding payments for adverts, and suffocating regulations and laws such as the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises free speech, have to be vacated.
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