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Values, the media and

poverty Guy Berger

Rhodes University

South Africa

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What’s the world’s No.1 problem?:

Aids?Digital divide?Corruption?Women/child abuse?War and strife?Fundamentalism? Despotism?

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It depends what you look at:

For me, one problem stands out as our worst pest,

and we need value-driven

journalism work in order to tackle it

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Its ugly name is: POVERTY

Let’s look at:

1. Why Poverty is Public Enemy no. 1

2. The journalism of poverty

3. The poverty of journalism

4. Conclusion: what’s to be done?

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SECTION B: Public Enemy No 1.

• What’s bad about poverty?– People are “less” - cashless, foodless,

homeless, landless, illness, powerless.

– Note: job-less ≠ poverty

– Bad to have Aids, worse: poor + Aids

• Many indirect effects: – Poverty doesn’t cause crime & Aids, but

it does contribute.

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The pinch of poverty

Pinpointing whose problem it is:

– the poor?– government?– civil society?

– business?– individuals?

– media?

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The pillars of poverty

• An act of God, or

• an act of man?

• Quiz: What are the underlying causes?

• A local issue, or

• a global issue?

• Quiz: UN Millenium Goal for 2015?

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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

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Questions 1:

• What’s the delay in ending poverty?

• What are the solutions?

• Who is part of the problem?

• Can media be part of the solution?

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Consider words of Kunda Dixit • Poverty reflects deep structural

problems within societies. Media isn’t a solution, but perhaps the way it is practiced is a part of the problem?

• Let’s be realistic: the media can’t end poverty. But if we in journalism don’t cover it intelligently (with attachment and outrage) the media will be an obstacle in poverty alleviation.

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“Poverty” has many faces:• The term is a generalisation of specifics:

– hunger. – lack of shelter. – being sick and not being able to see a doctor. – not being able to go to school and not knowing how to

read. – not having a job. – fear for the future, living one day at a time.– losing a child to illness from unclean water. – powerlessness, lacking representation & freedom.

(World Bank)

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A complex topic: 1

• “ Hard to link the different aspects: – So therefore you get singular stories:

manifestations (eg.streetkids) or broad concept (eg. poverty resolutions), and no linkage.

– In SA, the one-dimensional focus is more common than the multidimensional one,

– Examples of reporting on one angle, more-or-less in isolation of others, are in land and housing/homeless stories.

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A complex topic: 2

• Poverty is often hidden under other frames – crime, gender, Aids, strikes, unemployment.

• But poverty coverage often hides aspects like gender, and power.

• Challenge is to cover a condition with many causes

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SECTION C: Looking for answers:

“Development journalism” … has failed

Free market media in USA/India … has failed

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Development journalism effect:

• It reinforced man-made poverty.• Was bad journalism: “lies, easy

victories”• Responsibility, no freedom.

• Clearly– this model lacks democratic

values, plus real compassion.

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Free market model 1

• USA: poor people invisible in news,

• Middle-class audiences resent it.

• Indian media “consistently panders to the consumerism and lifestyles of the elite and rarely carries news of the reality of poverty.”- Palagummi Sainath

• Freedom, no responsibility

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Free market model 2:

• Stereotypes of lazy, failed people.

• Racialisation: “poverty = black”

• Individual, rather than govt/societal issue.

• “Deserving poor” victims vs blameworthy.

• Absence of voices of poor people.

Clearly:

Elitist model lacks solidarity value

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Journalism of poverty: disconnect• Dichotomy:

– Stories of people who are poor– Stories of “poverty” (often policy promises)

• Reports of manifestations of poverty, do not ID these “exhibits” as constituting “poverty”.

• Yet, linkage is necessary to grasp poverty as a generalised condition with inter-dependent and mutually reinforcing dimensions.

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Journalism of poverty: Charity angle• Examples of headlines:

– Africa wants debt cancelled– Rejoice R40m to uplift poor– Little too late, G8

• Result: agency by the poor is under-played. • Their status is projected as being that of objects

to be pitied and uplifted by others. • The poor are thus seen from a consumption,

and not a production, point of view. • Paradigm of poor as “in deficit”:

– No recognition of their achievements & potentials

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Journalism of poverty: political soccer

• Examples– President promises relief– Opposition accuses President of neglect.– Little independent follow-up.

• Glorification of the correspondent– Sympathy is created with the journalist,

not poor people

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Journalism of poverty – hiddenOften: Implicit, rather than explicitOften: Should be there but isn’t

Blind spots:

• Cold snap coverage – what of the poor? • Protests – no poverty info on background. • Very little on how “development” relates.• Poor scrutiny of statistics.• No debate about nature, extent, causes,

remedies.

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Journalism of poverty: voices– Absence of poor voices on policy issues.

– In SA, 60% of poverty stories did indeed provide a platform for poor voices.

– Yet these were overwhelmed by the voices of people in authority. Thus, government officials constituted 47% of sources.

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Journalism of poverty: gender• Disaggregation not common – eg.

Unemployment stats not broken down into male and female.

• In SA, only 6% of articles included an explicit gender angle, or linked gender and poverty.

• In another 12% of stories, there should have been a gender angle - eg. stories on pension queues; plight of jobless youth; land restitution.

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Who we’re told is “responsible”:

Causes: Bad luck Cruel nature Apartheid Backwardness

Solutions:• 25% of poverty stories = the responsibility of

poor people themselves • 32% gave government the responsibility.

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Whose “responsibility” is it?:

Solutions – “Delivery mindset”:

• Government praised or panned by politicians Government by default (in: charity stories) Civil society organs (churches, NGOs) Non-poor individuals

Let off the hook: the rich, business people global system

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Who should address poverty?

Solving poverty seldom painted as some-thing where all stakeholders play a part:

• - poor people (they are not "objects" to be pitied and uplifted through pure charity),

• - government (elected bodies supposed to deal with it),

• - civil society (ngo's, scholars, students, churches, etc.),

• - employers/business/educational institutions,• - individuals.

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SECTION E: Poverty of Journalism

• Spinning the story:– Our journalism in general needs

changing –

– Why and how.

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Problems in journalism

• Poverty does not have to be covered.

• Poverty needs enterprise reporting– Few press releases! Few lobby actions.

• We fixate on success and celebs …

• Survival not seen as an achievement.

• Events easier to cover than processes.

• Solutions-oriented journalism is atypical.

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SECTION F: Conclusion

What’s 2B done?– Conscious editorial strategy:

• Driven by values• “Demand more time, agitate for more

space, revisit the subject”

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Potential

• 1.Agenda setting: Sensitise readers, listeners, viewers so as to put the issue higher on the public agenda:

• 2. Aim to impact on the policy of institutions

(eg. councils, business, provinces,, etc.): • 3. Impact on individuals who have power:

persuade them to engage. Coverage that moves them emotionally,

empowers them with ideas and information, encourages them to give time, money, skill.

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Potential

• 4. Be a watchdog:

Expose exploitation, abuses, corruption. • 5. Inspire entrepreneurship:

Publicise business achievers. • 6. Empower:

Ensure that stories are educational as well as informative.

• 7. Resources for poor people:

Provide user information - where to get relief, skills, loans, jobs.

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Summing up the point:

• Poverty is everyone’s problem.• While media must be free, it can well keep

responsible spirit of developmental journalism.and

• Avoid elitist role of free market media.

• Inform, expose, debate, hold accountable, give frontline voices, inspire, educate, empower.

• Even break hearts.

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Potential to make a difference:

Good coverage can impact:

• On policy of govt, business, schools, etc • On practices of these institutions• On economic strategies• Conscience of rich people• Empowerment of the poor • On local-global compassion & solidarity.

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Appeal to journalism:

• Journalism ≠ social marketing, but a conscious and pro-active approach can enrich poverty-related news and its impact.

• “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

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Outcomes:

• P: Press can play a role• O: Only if you’re pro-active• O: Organise a strategy• R: Reap the results - reduce

poverty!

• Journalism should be a full part of the rich resources for reconstructing our humanity.

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One day, perhaps, we will not have this biggest problem to report anymore.

Thank you