Right to Tell

"There is a strong positive correlation between freedom of expression and higher incomes, lower infant mortality and increased adult literacy."
     —Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director General

The Media and Development? What's the Connection?

April 2, 2007—It's easy to overlook the importance of a free media.

In a world where millions face abject poverty, war, or human rights violations on a daily basis, people tend to believe that freedom of the press isn't really a priority.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say a free and unbiased media is fundamental to overcoming those very issues.

An independent media that provides quality information and has a broad reach ultimately creates a strong civil society, which leads to healthy social, political, and economic environments. It does this by:

• exposing corruption and facilitating good governance
• providing a voice to those who would be otherwise marginalized, and making them aware of their rights,
• spreading knowledge of human rights, education, and health to reduce poverty, and
• facilitating trade through the transmission of ideas and innovation across boundaries.

Unfortunately, achieving a truly free and independent media is not easy. In many cases, oppressive regimes censor the media and harm journalists. Often, powerful private interests can curb the media's freedom. And low literacy levels and poor technology also limit the media's capabilities.

Learn more about the threats to a free media at Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Independent Media

The participatory fervor taking over the media has resulted in a host of independent publications, such as OhMyNews, a South Korean online newspaper based on the motto that "every citizen is a reporter." Eighty percent of its content comes from ordinary citizens around the world. Cafébabel is another publication centered on this principle of "journalism by the people."

While critics question the accuracy or objectivity of such "everyman" news and analysis, many of these publications have been successful in countering political conservatism in their regions.

"Journalism can be 'practiced' in all sorts of ways, and by virtually anyone. You don’t even have to be a citizen or a professional; you could be a foreigner, or even an alien from outer space."
     —Max Kalehoff, BuzzMetrics

...And this is where YOU come in...

The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of our lives, and one of its major outcomes is citizen or participatory journalism. User-generated content has taken the media by storm, and unlike traditional news media, it's easier for it to be both immediate and candid.

Critics have questioned the objectivity and quality of such participatory media, arguing that only those trained in journalistic ethics are qualified to provide reliable news content. But there's no denying the fact that it's now possible for anyone to jump in and have their say, and many, are in fact doing so. Here's how:

Blogging

Blogs, or Weblogs, have become immensely popular in the last few years. Basically online diaries or journals, they allow people to share information and ideas, and to link to other blogs and websites, creating a vast online network. In recent times, blogs have even overtaken major media outlets by exposing political scandals or by reporting from inaccessible, war-torn areas.

According to a Reporters Without Borders handbook, "Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest."

No one knows this better than imprisoned Egyptian blogger Abdul Kareem Nabeel Suleiman, better known by his Internet pseudonym Kareem Amer. The 22-year-old native of Alexandria is serving a 4-year sentence for allegedly insulting Islam and the Egyptian president in his blog.

His arrest has inspired both a blog, FreeKareem.org, and an online petition.

Photos & Multimedia

Citizen journalism does not only refer to writing and reporting. Increasingly, people are posting video, audio, or photos to the web, making sites such as Youtube and Flickr hugely popular.

It was ordinary citizens who used their camera phones to provide the earliest photos of the 2005 London bombings.

Other Ways to Join In

Add your two cents to a wiki: A wiki is a website that allows users to create, remove, or edit content collectively. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, is one of the most successful wikis out there.

Explore what it takes to have a career in journalism, as well as get tips on how to get started now, at HighSchoolJournalism.org.

Once Upon a Time...

The power of the Web to inform, inspire and unite us does seem like a fairytale—a never ending one with many truths and a few happy endings.

So, excercise your right to tell, and keep spreading the news.

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