Editorial by Bernard Margueritte Media: The beginning of the end? Review of year 2003 e have just lived through another terri- nity of our profession find themselves attacked. W ble year for the media. We have no Is this just by chance? reason to be surprised. How can honest and In any case it gives us the opportunity to re- dignified reporting take place in these times of mind ourselves of our solidarity with the NYT crisis, hatred and war? And yet, at the same as well as the Le Monde or the BBC. The Ja- time, curiously, a new wind of optimism is son Blair affair is unfortunate, but no newspa- beginning to blow. Would it be possible that per can be responsible for each of its reporters we are witnessing the beginning of the end of and this regrettable situation has been blown up this slide by the media towards superficiality, out of all proportion. The facts for which Le lies and sensation, which not long ago seemed Monde has been reproached are not entirely so terribly irreversible? Anyhow this hope is without foundation, but it is still one of the best nowhere more perceptible than in the United newspapers in the world. The BBC, wounded States, as I have just become aware. After hav- by a report, of which the lack of objectivity is ing led the media towards degradation, Amer- recognised by the majority of the British pub- ica seems, as usual, on the point of being the lic, remains a standard-bearer for us all. first to rebound and show the way to us in Perhaps it would have been more worthwhile Europe who stick with her - whether we want to look into the way the Fox chain, in the to or not - often for the worse, but sometimes United States, before, during and after the war also for the better. in Iraq, practised an ultra-partisan journalism. Savage Attacks As Manny Paraschos writes in Media Ethics; "The war is Iraq has shaken American journal- And yet how difficult these last months have ism". In short, every war, adds Peter Preston in been, not only for the world in these times of The Global Journalist, the revue of The Inter- war, but also for the media themselves. One national Press Institute (IPI) "is the greatest cannot but notice, for example, that three of the challenge to good journalism". These troubled most respected media institutions have been times have, indeed, led media people to ask the objects of savage attacks. Le Monde has themselves again a number of difficult ques- seen itself reproached in a sensational book for tions. What must be the relationship between having covered with a modest veil of honesty a patriotism and truth, for example? The answer hidden political commitment. The New York is not so easy, even for the noblest of minds. Times has been shamed following the Jason Was not Albert Camus, explaining his hostility Blair affair. Finally the BBC, condemned by to a free Algeria, already saying; "I prefer my the Hutton report, is in deep turmoil. What a mother to justice"? strange coincidence! The most partisan or sen- sational media continue their activities unim- Events have increased even further the strange peded, but three of the main pillars of the dig- distortion of the American media, especially Bernard Margueritte (bottom right), Presi- dent of the ICF, at the the beginning of the Cape Town conference in April with the con- ference organisers. INTERNATIONAL In the centre is end? South-African Stephen Wrottesley, the chief organiser, who tragically died in a road accident a few months later. Top right is William Porter, the Founder- President of the ICF. COMMUNICATIONS FORUM that of the three great TV networks, ness among our colleagues is at the Journalism Review, gives concrete CBS, ABC & NBC, which, (according source of the constant development of examples, showing that people are to the American Journalism Review) associations such as the "Committee of making themselves heard in the pro- have had in 2001 92% of their inter- Concerned Journalists", "The Poynter tests against the concentration of media views with Whites, 85% with men and Institute", "The International Center for ownerships. 75% with Republicans! Fortunately, Journalists" and many others, including Those responsible for the media are even during these last few months, no doubt the International Communica- beginning to take into account this evo- many of our American colleagues, in tions Forum. lution of society. Their courage and the New York Times and the New honesty shown in the crisis have been Happy Catharsis Yorker, but not only them, have set us well demonstrated by The New York an example by showing us that our The public is showing itself increas- Times and the BBC. dignity as media people lies in being, at ingly concerned by world affairs and is So new times seem to be on the way. all costs, servants of the truth. demanding a more serious coverage of Would the crises of these past years If therefore we are in the process of international events. Enquiries, carried have acted as a happy catharsis? It is touching the bottom and rebounding, out for example by the Pew Founda- as yet only a glimmer of hope. It de- especially in the United States, it is tion, reveal that the American public is pends on all of us, and especially those because the crisis we have lived demanding from now on serious and who have got together in the Interna- through has been a source of revelation dignified treatment. Already, incisive tional Communications Forum, to act in at least three spheres: news programmes, such as Ted Kop- in such a way that the media again be- pel's Night Line, see their audiences Journalists are becoming aware in a come what they should never have growing, while more superficial pro- new way of their responsibilities for ceased to be: a guarantee of democracy grammes are in constant decline. Tom the public and for democracy. The and an essential factor in drawing peo- Kunkel, dean of the Philip Merrill Col- growing success of organisms engaged ple closer together. lege of Journalism at the University of in the defence of worthy media is a Maryland and president of American demonstration of this. This new aware- Bernard Margueritte The International Communications Forum in 2003 India: Bernard Margueritte spoke at a "Sensationalism and the erosion of Stephen Ward, of the School of Jour- conference held in January on global- journalism" on the occasion of a nalism in the University of British isation at the Panchgani Centre near Round Table at the Congress of the Colombia, Graham Turner, feature Pune, organised by the Indian commit- World Association of Newspapers writer of The Daily Telegraph, Dorina tee of the Caux economic sessions. (WAN). Although the main speeches Osipov, director of the Independent France: At the Chirac-Blair summit at were devoted to the external menaces Press Association of Moldova, and Le Touquet on 4th February, William that weigh on the press, Porter concen- Danko Plevnik, columnist for the Porter, an honorary consular officer of trated on the internal threats, those that Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija. the United Kingdom, was among the newspapers can more directly con- front. Austria: At the International Press first to shake hands with the two lead- Institute's congress at Salzburg in Sep- ers. Later he was interviewed by the According to an article that appeared tember, Bernard Margueritte spoke at Arab TV chain, Al Jezira. in the Irish Independent, Porter stated, a round table on pluralism, democracy in part: “Newspaper audiences do not Sri Lanka: In February-March Wil- and the clash of civilisations. It was liam Porter went to Colombo to lead a consist of violence-loving, sex-mad, also an occasion to meet journalists one-day seminar for 70 journalists and moronic idiots but of reasonable, and media leaders. represented the Forum at a conference hard-working, family-loving, decent of the Commonwealth Press Union. people. It is for them that we should Wales: Another opportunity for Ber- He then visited Chennai (Madras) and fill our pages." nard Margueritte to meet British media Nagaland (North East India) for inter- and political leadership was at a con- Switzerland: As in previous years, the views with the press and politicians, ference in November on displaced Communications Forum took part in and spoke to staff and students at the persons at Cardiff, a city that the the presentation of the economic ses- Asian College of Journalism. Welsh are proud to call "the youngest sion at Caux, with the theme capital in Europe". Lebanon: The conference planned for "Globalisation as if people really mat- March in Beirut, for which an invita- tered". A report of the dialogue be- United States: Bernard Margueritte tion committee very representative of tween Ignacio Ramonet, of Le Monde undertook in December a three-week the Lebanese media has been formed, Diplomatique, and José Maria Fi- tour in the United States - from New had to be postponed because of the gueres, of the World Economic Fo- York and Washington to Miami and war that was about to break out in rum, will be found on Page 3. Among from Saint-Paul to Chicago - mainly to Iraq. It will now take place during the those present were Magnus Linklater, inform people of the future projects of first week of June 2005. feature writer of the London Times, the Communications Forum and to Ireland: William Porter spoke in June Louise Seals, Managing Editor of The seek possible sources of finance for in Dublin on the theme: Richmond Times Dispatch, Professor them.