Media power, economic justice 1 Media Power and Economic Justice Guy Berger, Rhodes University South Africa, 3 August, Caux 2 Economic justice For much of the world, it means poverty. So, what’s the relevance here in Europe? – There is some poverty here; – There are a host of economic relationships with places where people are poor – from investment, banking, migration. – There is a “fair trade” agenda. – There is bird flu… etc. There is human solidarity, not just materialism. 3 Economic justice • What’s bad about poverty? – People are “less” - cashless, foodless, homeless, landless, illness, powerless. – Bad to have Aids, worse: poor + Aids • Many indirect effects: – Poverty doesn’t cause crime, terror or Aids, but it does contribute. 4 A rights issue – it’s political “Poverty is the cause and the effect of the denial of human rights. • Systematic violation of these rights degenerates rapidly into poverty. • The most acute moral question of the new century is to understand how such massive and systematic violations, day in, day out, do not trouble the conscience.” - Pierre Sane, Unesco 5 Words of Kunda Dixit (Nepal) “Poverty reflects deep structural problems. Media isn’t a solution, but perhaps the way it is practiced is a part of the problem? ” “ The media can’t end poverty. But if we in journalism don’t cover it intelligently (with attachment and outrage), media will be an obstacle in alleviation.” 6 7 Problems in journalism Poverty does not have to be covered. Poverty needs enterprise reporting – Few press releases! Few lobby actions. We fixate on elite success and celebs … – And European-centric stories. Solutions-oriented journalism is atypical. Events easier to cover than processes. 8 9 Blindspots and absences Often: Implicit, rather than explicit Often: Should be there, but isn’t. • • • • • Cold snap coverage – what of the poor? Unrest – no poverty info on background. Very little on how “development” relates. Poor scrutiny of investment statistics. No debate about nature, extent, causes, remedies. 10 “Poverty” has many faces: • The term is a generalisation: – Hunger shelter health-care schooling illiteracy unemployment fear crisis death loss water powerlessness (World Bank). – You get singular stories: manifestations (eg.streetkids) or a broad concept (eg. poverty resolutions), and no linkage. 11 12 Critique of the Charity angle • Agency by the poor is under-played. • Their status is projected as being objects to be pitied and uplifted by others. • The poor are seen from a consumption, and not a production, point of view. • Paradigm of poor as “in deficit”: Survival achievement & potential unrecognised. 13 Critique of demons & angels • A political football – President or G8 promises relief – Opposition accuses President of neglect. – Little independent media follow-up. • Glorification of the correspondent – Sympathy is created with the journalist, not poor people. • Absence of voices of the poor themselves. 14 Critique of disengendering • Disaggregation not common – eg. Unemployment statistics. • In SA, only 6% of articles had an explicit gender angle, or linked gender & poverty. • In another 12% of stories, there should have been a gender angle - eg. stories on pension queues; jobless youth; land restitution. 15 The matter of agency Causes: Backwardness Bad luck Cruel nature, or: Slavery/Colonial/Apartheid/IMF legacies (Affects the kind of remedy suggested) Solutions: Who is primarily responsible for addressing the problems? 16 Whose “responsibility” is it?: Solutions – “Delivery mindset”: • Government (nanny state) By default: Civil society organs (churches, NGOs) Non-poor individuals via charity First World Let off the hook: the rich, business people global system the poor. 17 Who should address poverty? Solving poverty is seldom painted as concern of all stakeholders: • poor people; • civil society (ngo's, churches, etc.), • employers/business • government; educational institutions, • individuals, … and media. 18 Appeal to journalism: • Journalism ≠ social marketing, but a conscious and pro-active approach can enrich poverty-related news and its impact on policy and people. • “We’re not asking journalists to become activists and start waving the flag, but they shouldn’t just be passive observers anymore to the misery and deprivation around them.” Kunda Dixit 19 20 One day, perhaps, we will not have this economic justice problem to report anymore. Thank you 21