One of the greatest mistakes a journalist can make is falling into cynicism. The myth of the hard bitten reporter is unquestioningly celebrated in popular culture; these days no one even blinks at the old cliche that “if bleeds it leads”. Comparatively little is ever said about the role of the media in hosting a productive conversation about shared values, or the solutions to our most pressing problems.
But in the era of climate change that’s the journalism we need. I’ve just finished reading an interesting Quarterly Essay by Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens that placed a big chunk of the blame for growing contempt in society at the feet of social media companies. Aly and Stephens lament the lack of civility in public discussion, and argue that the likes of Facebook and its competitors use algorithms to weaponise anger and fuel distrust.
It’s an argument full of insight and it’s highly relevant to what we do at The Conversation. Our unique model of journalism is all about contributing to a public discussion that is sober, constructive and respectful.
