Press Freedom has Never Been More Critical

By Lena Slachmuijlder

Journalists possess power. Their words shape opinions, mobilize action, support open dialogue, promote positive change, or even incite violence.

As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, we cannot afford to forget that supporting this freedom alone is not enough to ensure the media’s positive role within society.

They say you cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. But many journalists around the world decide to use the pen, the computer, the camera or the microphone like a fist. I know, because I did it myself when I was a journalist.

In the 1980s, apartheid was a shadow on our shared humanity. I wanted nothing more than to fight the system that supported this inequality and inhumane treatment. I went to South Africa to work as a journalist at a newspaper that was openly against the white government.

In the days before Twitter, Facebook, or mobile phones, you could buy a newspaper in the farthest corner of South Africa and read about white society and white culture, but you would find no reports on the liberation movement or the war that was being waged. No stories about the deaths of black South Africans.

Our paper was the opposite. We spoke only of what was happening in the townships, the abuse of human rights, the martyrs killed one after the other. We had a strong and critical voice, but it was one sided. We were nearly silent on the internal conflicts of the ANC or accusations of corruption. We did important, valuable work, but we were a fist, fighting against a system, even if it means contributing to the demonization of the other.

Papers like ours quickly went out of business after the elections of 1994. In its wake, South Africans and journalists felt safe to start listening to each other and hearing the perspectives of their fellow South Africans. Courageous journalists and talk show hosts such as Tim Modise made enormous contributions to building the New South Africa, enabling people to feel secure and proud in the country’s diversity.

Today, I have the privilege of working with journalists around the world through Search for Common Ground, an organization dedicated to ending violent conflict. We promote a Common Ground approach to journalism, supporting the professional principles of accuracy, fairness and responsibility.

This approach recognizes that at each turn, journalists must make choices: whom to interview, what to ask, how to frame the story. We enable journalists to understand the dynamics of conflict, and see how using these techniques of professionalism, they can be aware of how their story could fuel further conflict, deepen prejudice and stereotypes, or rather, highlight commonalities. We don’t tell journalists not to cover war, abuse and conflict, nor to ‘promote peace’. However, just by reflecting different perspectives, enabling dialogue and asking for possible solutions, journalists can use their freedom to move a community or a nation towards a new space of hope, common understanding and a shared future.

From enabling dialogue between the US and the Soviets during the Cold War to our media initiatives in the Balkans in the 90s, to our current work with journalists in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe, Search for Common Ground knows that the media are critical to building peace. In many places, despite the polarization of the media sector, journalists have learned the lessons of the Rwandan radio that fuelled hatred and division. Most journalists that I encounter today want to be honorable, responsible, and do their profession proud.

But they need the freedom to do so. As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, we know that in many places this is not a given. For journalists to be allies in seeking collaborative solutions, they need the freedom to speak with all sides in a conflict, to access information, and protect their sources. To be able to shape a Better Future, as states this year’s theme, they need to be able to tackle difference, diversity and division with accuracy, impartiality and responsibility. No other part of society can be more effective in enabling dialogue and seeking collaborative solutions around each and every question for our future. As we protect journalists’ freedom, we’re also protecting ours.

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Lena Slachmuijlder is the Vice President of Programs at Search for Common Ground.