Jenny Salesa –
It is a pleasure to celebrate another year of service to the community by Indian Newslink.
I have enjoyed seeing how Indian Newslink has responded to the challenges faced by news media today: how it is keeping abreast of best practice; that it is forward-thinking about its publication platforms; and that it is extending its reach into the wider community.
Powerful activity
Journalism is a powerful and essential activity. It can influence the views and understanding of its audience and inspire action. A free and democratic society must be able to depend on the high quality of its citizens’ knowledge.
Citizens must be well equipped to participate to the fullest extent and, therefore, media must take good journalism seriously. They must genuinely inform people, convey deeper meanings and foster understanding.
An impartial press can be a public watchdog and hold governments and other leaders to account in a fair and informed way.
Balance essential
There has been much debate about what impartiality means and its value in this context. It is part of a suite of standards, such as fairness, objectivity and balance, that belong together as a suite of best practice guidelines for journalism.
Naturally, reporters, editors, photographers are all human beings with the innate biases of their upbringing and experience. Journalists are not robots who can be programmed to deliver some single, objective truth in every situation. Many have strong existing views on particular subjects and others take an exaggerated stance for comic or satirical effect or, sometimes, for rather more sinister purposes.
Transparency essential
Journalists should strive to be aware of their biases and to work against these, for the most part. Where media do take a strong stance of some kind, they must be as transparent as possible – to put their cards on the table about their political or cultural position – so that the audience has a context within which members can evaluate what’s conveyed to them.
“Impartial” is sometimes used to mean a duty to convey all views equally. This is actually “balance”, a measure that can be used when media allow guest columns or editorials, for example. Good selection for balanced and well-communicated views of guest items could support impartiality over the sum of the items.
Objectivity redefined
Impartiality is sometimes used to mean objectivity. Objectivity requires an active approach and cannot be just a passive mosaic of quotations. The essential contribution to our society only comes when a journalist seeks meaning – when analysis is brought to bear on the various assertions, when deeper merits and truths are explained in attempts to offer the audience a route to understanding.
Traditional news services still play a vital role. Excellent content, good reporting, even-handed editorial practices, standards, ethical considerations and public accountability will always be necessary, regardless of delivery formats.
Extended greetings
Congratulations to all concerned on your 16th year of publication and welcome to new Managing Director and publisher Jacob Mannothra. I hope to see Indian Newslink thriving under his leadership.
It this significant time of year, I also wish to send Diwali greetings to the staff and readers of Indian Newslink and extend my best wishes for prosperity and joy in the coming year from me and my family to you and your families.
Jenny Salesa in an elected Member of Parliament from Manukau East Constituency and Labour Party’s Spokesperson for Employment, Skills and Training.
