Publications
Partners
It is such a simple formulation, but it contains the DNA of what journalism should encompass: without facts, there is no truth, or trust, writes Lizette Rabe.
The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded this Friday, 10 December, to two investigative journalists at the only in-person Nobel awards this year. And as one of the recipients said so succinctly: "When you don't have facts, you don't have truth."
These were the words of Maria Ressa when she heard she was one of the two Nobel laureates. To which she added: "Without truth, you don't have trust." And:
When this year's ceremony takes place in Oslo's City Hall on Friday (pandemic-permitting), it will be the only in-person Nobel event for 2021. Maybe also this fact is indicative of the importance of the 2021 Peace Prize. Amplifying the message of how intrinsically and fundamentally important the free flow of information is, the prize puts the spotlight on not only two, but all journalists who hold the powerful to account. As one commentator said:
Especially in a dystopian world, with not one but several, parallel universes encompassing our everyday existence (let's not mention the metaverse), we need professional journalism more than ever.
The two journalists are the already mentioned Ressa, founder of the Philippine Rappler, and Russian Dmitry Muratov, founder of Novaya Gazeta. They are regarded as representative of all professional journalists – that sub-culture of the human species that is usually reviled by politicians who do not want the truth to prevail and do not understand the importance, nor role, of a free media. Indeed: Also that the media can be scapegoated for all wrongs in society by blaming the messenger, while conveniently forgetting it is not the media that make up things; it is the media reflecting society.
READ | Melanie Verwoerd: Matric Rage cancellations: Let's put the blame where the blame is due
That is also why the award to two journalists carries so much symbolism. The onslaught by unregulated and irresponsible social media with their tsunamis of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation makes the need for professional journalism more important than ever. Dis-, mis- and malinformation should also not be called fake news, as this gives it the status of news, which of course it is not. Whether they concern politics or the pandemic, conspiracy theories are amplified through social media's echo chambers, turning our everyday world into a toxic froth.
The significance of the prize going to two representatives of professional journalism is clear. Put simply, this year's Peace Prize is an endorsement of free speech, albeit under fire worldwide. Also Ton Vosloo, veteran journalist and previous chair of Naspers, recently said at the 80th anniversary of Stellenbosch University's student newspaper Die Matie it "was truly memorable news" that two investigative journalists won the Peace Prize. The "honour underscores exactly how important those in mainstream media and investigative journalism are to maintain true democracy", as is the case also with "extremely crucial investigative exposés" in local media.
Representing journalism
Although Ressa and Muratov are two individuals, the Nobel committee emphasised that they represent journalism, and therefore all journalists who stand up for the ideal of freedom of expression. Despite all odds, one should add. And odds there are – and many, and in many guises.
In the case of the two journalists, Ressa, currently out on bail, has faced numerous politically motivated legal cases and has to navigate a minefield so as not to be incarcerated. Of Muratov's colleagues, an astounding six members have been killed since 2000, among whom well-known Anna Politkovskaya. Journalism practitioner turned professor Kathy Kiely, in her position as chair of Free Press Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia, said "journalists are the canaries down the noxious mine shaft". Just think of cases such as the "grisly dismemberment" of Saudi writer Jamal Kashoggi. Or the "Murder the Media" graffiti on a door of the US Capitol during the January insurrection. Or the Committee to Protect Journalists report that in 2020 alone 274 journalists were imprisoned – the highest since 1992. Or that since 1992 a total of 1 400 journalists were murdered. According to Kiely, social media "amplify and weaponise" malinformation, claiming free speech protection while they allow themselves "to be hijacked by slanderers and propagandists".
The Nobel Peace Prize committee said Ressa and Muratov "represent a golden standard of journalism of high quality". Translated, it boils down to journalists being factfinders and truthseekers. In other words, not purveyors of clickbait, generated by all-knowing algorithms, nor AI producing "content" for gullible audiences.
Ressa, co-founder of Rappler in 2012, was also Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2018 "for her crusading work against disinformation". Only the 18th woman to win the Peace Prize in its 120-year history, she said the award was a "recognition of how difficult it is to be a journalist today". Above all, it confirms that without journalism, there is no truth. Muratov founded his paper in 1993 and has overcome numerous threats and stumbling blocks – including his six colleagues that were murdered.
Serve society and democracy
And that is also why journalists – professional journalists – should honour the Nobel Peace prize to two journalists by ensuring we practice our profession to the top-most standards possible. If we don't, we are not serving our society, nor democracy.
Unfortunately, those that do not take the creed of our profession seriously, violate the sacrosanct principles of journalism. Just think "Tembisa Ten" and those poor non-existent decuplets. Such fabrications – and the ruthless defence of it – demolish all trust in a profession that is the only safeguard for our so brittle democracy, especially under pervasive and systemic corruption enmeshed in national, provincial and local government.
READ | Chris Roper: Gosiame Sithole is just collateral damage in an Iqbal-Anon world
And then there is the threat emanating from Big Tech. In his speech Ton Vosloo described social media in the form of Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp "and a spectre of other inventions" as "a dark cloud on the horizon that will overshadow all freedoms". That, he said, is why it is so important that mainstream media must be supported financially to ensure their survival.
Hopefully, our public will recognise fabrications and propaganda for what they are: A total sham and mockery of every role-player concerned – including the public themselves.
With the Peace Prize being won by two journalists, this plea: Please help journalism and society as a whole to rid themselves of parasites riding on the trust of a profession that, without trust, means nothing. Please do not conflate fabrications with mainstream, professional media. And please do not conflate social media with mainstream, professional media.
And on 10 December, toast Ressa, Muratov and mainstream journalism, fighting in the trenches to ensure governments are held accountable. And remember that if we do not trust mainstream media, they may as well close their doors. In Ressa's words: "Trust is what holds us together."
It is only trust that will ensure healthy governments and healthy societies. We can only do so by ensuring facts are sacrosanct, and that a world without facts, is a world without truth and trust. Again in Ressa's words: "If you hold the North Star ahead of you, if you protect the facts, you hold power to account."
Let's stick to the facts. Let's keep our focus on that North Star.
- Lizette Rabe is professor and chair of the department of journalism at Stellenbosch University.
To receive Opinions Weekly, sign up for the newsletter here.
*Want to respond to the columnist? Send your letter or article to opinions@news24.com with your name and town or province. You are welcome to also send a profile picture. We encourage a diversity of voices and views in our readers' submissions and reserve the right not to publish any and all submissions received.
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
