A new campaign seeks to raise the profile of journalism and to launch a national debate about what makes good journalism. A broad coalition of unions, media owners and journalists set up JournalismIs.ca website, and will run ads and videos in newspapers, on radio and television as well as in social media.
Navigating ‘the virtual sea of information’
Given the virtual sea of information that is available now, the site says, “the accuracy and reliability of professional journalism is essential.”
“We’re very deliberately trying to reach out to…the younger generation on Twitter, on Facebook who might not realize that the majority of the news that they get comes from ‘mainstream professional journalists,” says Mary Agnes Welch, who speaks for the campaign and is a reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press.
Listen‘Committed to the public interest’
“Holding power to account” is one of 10 key principles of journalism featured in the ads. Others include “getting answers,” ” relentless,” “an independent voice,” “storytelling with a purpose” and “committed to the public interest.” They will also feature the stories of reporters, says Welch, “and how everyday they…perhaps invisibly, embody these principles that really matter to a properly functioning democracy.”
People will be invited to submit what they think is good journalism and what is not in “an open-ended, free-flowing” discussion, says Welch. She sees this as a first step in a broader, but not yet defined, effort to raise awareness about good journalism.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.