“Global Muckraking” Inspires Panels on Journalism, Human Rights, Social Change
How does journalism bring about social change? How should we think about the links between advocacy and journalism? These were some of the many questions asked and debated during a day-long conference on “Global Muckraking: Journalism, Human Rights and Social Change” held at SIPA October 17.
The event brought together journalists, scholars, and activists to celebrate the publication of Global Muckraking: 100 Years of Investigative Journalism from Around the World, edited by Anya Schiffrin, the director of SIPA’s specialization in International Media, Advocacy, and Communications (IMAC).
The event was hosted by IMAC along with SIPA’s concentrations in Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Economic and Political Development, and Energy and Environment, and the specialization in Gender and Public Policy.
The program opened with a panel that asked “Under What Conditions Does Journalism Make a Difference?” Schiffrin, the panel moderator, considered the circumstances under which governments are responsive to the media spotlight. Panelists discussed instances in which journalism had an impact, and others in which the impact was exaggerated.
The discussion also touched on the influence the Internet has on investigative journalism. Professor Joseph Stiglitz, an unplanned addition to the panel, brought up the “economics of information,” stating that the “Internet is very good at disseminating, good at distributing, but not very good at production.”
Reporting on Women panelists spoke about their personal experiences, highlighting misconceptions and mishandlings around issues pertaining to women, particularly due to erroneous assumptions. Women still are underrepresented, and misrepresented, in the media, said panel moderator Jenny McGill, a SIPA faculty member. “There is a set pattern, women are supposed to be victims,” said panelist Nicole Pope, a writer and journalist, who added that women are trying to change this.
A panel on Investigative Reporting moderated by Sheila Coronel, director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Reporting at Columbia Journalism School, brought together journalists covering Africa, Asia, and Latin America. When asked whether journalism had entered a Golden Age for investigative reporting, the panelists discussed the conditions they work under as well as how new media tools and technology have affected storytelling.
Speaking on China, panelist and journalist Weifeng Ni said, “It’s never too good or too bad in China.” He described how journalists in China are finding innovative ways to investigate stories and have turned to uploading photos and evidence to social media sites before the stories come out in print publications where they can be censored. Ni described how readers have also become a critical component helping journalists with crowd-sourcing.
The last panel of the day focused on reporting about oil, gas, and coal. Panelist and investigative journalist Ken Silverstein stressed the need to find an American “hook” for international stories—otherwise, he said, American audiences will be less interested. He described his own reporting work in Equatorial Guinea, while fellow panelist Aviva Chomsky discussed her work with extractive industries in Latin America.
Surveying a group of guests who flew in from all over the world, Schiffrin said, “We brought together a diverse range of people. These are groups that don’t come together all the time.”
In closing remarks, Catherine Higgs, who participated in the panel on labor reporting, reiterated the message of many panelists that it is imperative to keep supporting dissenting voices in the press and academia.
“We have to keep yelling,” Higgs said.