When I decided to pursue a career in journalism, it wasn’t because I had some romantic ideas about the profession, and it certainly wasn’t because I thought it would be a lucrative line of work. I chose to become a journalist because I wanted to tell stories – those that don’t often get told and are sometimes swept under the rug of history.
Journalism and the right of the free press is vital to the health of a functioning democracy. Unfortunately, we have seen the erosion of public trust in the institution in recent years. Some news critics may argue that’s due to a corporate media ethos that prioritizes profits and shareholders over truth and editorial ethics. Others may point blame at former President Donald Trump, whose words often vilified journalists and established the term “fake news” in the lexicon.
Whatever the case may be, it’s fair to say that journalism is under threat now more than at any other time in modern history. There are not only industry-wide challenges, but journalists worldwide continue to be targeted and sometimes killed while trying to do their jobs.
The nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists reports that since January 2023, at least 99 journalists have been killed in the line of duty – the majority of whom while reporting on Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.
At the same time, journalists worldwide continue to be imprisoned for doing their jobs. The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since Mar. 29, 2023.
That’s why World Press Freedom Day on May 3 is so important. The day was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 and for the past 30 years, it has served to remind people about the value and perils of this work.
Journalism is a calling, and while some news organizations and journalists definitely give the profession a bad name, there are so many journalists working to tell stories about underserved communities and marginalized peoples. Reporters have the potential to give platforms to people who might otherwise be unable to tell their own stories and their own histories. And since journalism is regarded as the “first draft of history,” it’s more important than ever to make sure we give time and space to the people actually living that history, rather than those who might observe them cynically from afar.
As a senior journalism student – one who hopes to make this profession their livelihood – World Press Freedom Day holds special meaning. At a time when the industry is contracting and corporate interests put increasing pressure on newsrooms to “feed the beast” with fewer resources, the imperative to “seek truth and report it” becomes that much more important.
To have the privilege and platform (and the paycheck, hopefully) to report the news is an honor and, honestly, a public trust – in fact, it’s a public good. Good journalism can shine a light on the darkest corners of our world, sparking positive change. Likewise, bad journalism can be the spark that sets the world aflame.
I am a journalist because I want to put out the flames, because I want to hold power to account, and because I want to do my part to ensure that the “first draft of history” has as few errors as possible. On World Press Freedom Day this year, we should all remember the triumphs of ethical journalism that’s grounded in truth and the value of human rights. And we should also remember the perils journalists encounter when telling those truths and preserving those human rights becomes a crime.