On World News Day, journalists worldwide are joining forces to publicly proclaim their belief that journalism, at its best, matters to citizens globally. While journalists believe that their work is essential, a 2022 report by the Reuters Institute shows that the public’s trust in news is decreasing. Furthermore, many individuals are choosing to avoid news entirely. The importance of celebrating World News Day is to remind the global community of journalism’s role in providing trustworthy news and information that serves citizens and democracy.
One thing journalists must never take for granted is that their news audiences understand what they do and why they do it. It is the responsibility of all journalists to be transparent, accountable, and explain their methods, mission, and purpose. To be trusted, journalists must be trustworthy, and that includes ensuring that their news and information are accurate, fair, and centering diversity and inclusion in both subjects and sources.
World News Day is an important reminder that journalism, at its best, matters to all of us worldwide. Journalists must hold themselves accountable to their audiences by striving to create deeper public understanding of journalism’s standards and the distinction between misinformation and real news. Kathy English, the public editor of Canada’s Toronto Star, is well aware of the vital importance of engaging with news audiences to create greater public understanding of journalism’s standards and to differentiate misinformation from trustworthy news.
The significance of journalistic standards that prioritizes accountability, accuracy, fairness, and ethics must not be underestimated. Journalism at its best is fact-based and aspires to live up to the highest standards of the profession. In a world where misinformation and outright lies have become viral, journalistic standards based on facts are more critical than ever before.
In conclusion, journalism at its best matters to all of us, and World News Day serves as an important reminder of that fact. Journalists must explain their work to the public, be transparent, hold themselves accountable, and follow journalistic standards based on accuracy, fairness, and diversity. By striving to create greater public understanding of journalism’s standards, journalists can enhance trust and interest in journalism.
