This article by journalist G. Pascal Zachary, accompanied by six commentaries from international journalists, is a response to the following questions by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): "What are the strengths and weaknesses of media
coverage of hunger and poverty? How can coverage of these issues be
improved?"
In this 27-page report, the author cites the amorphousness of the term "development" as a challenge fraught with divisive issues - for example, development for whom and at what cost? Among the disagreements, as stated here, are universal aims of poverty reduction, the expansion of opportunity, and the establishment of basic norms covering essential elements of life, ranging from education and health to labour and the environment to food security and access to new communication technologies. Journalists, though they respond to political, social and cultural leaders, make influential choices, and how they choose to cover development contributes to how priorities are set on a wide range of issues. However, journalists cannot control outcomes, for example, whether government action results from their reporting. They can raise awareness, but may not contribute to solutions.
Improvements in the internationalisation of journalism include the change in media focus, with increased audience and international connection due to stronger cross border ties caused by migration; increased university journalism training on reporting internationally; internet publication through blogs and video uploading; and non-governmental organisation (NGO) and multilateral organisation investment in journalism training in developing countries where newspaper expansion is steadily increasing. Radio and television are expanding also, AL Jazeera being an example. The internet offers an expanded data source as well as an immediate resource, giving more authoritative global context to local reporting.
Barriers, however, exist in the form of shrinking circulation in the United States (US) leading to very few overseas bureaus; hence, more crisis-only reporting. Authoritarian governments are finding ways to mute not only their own press, but also the internet. The frequency of the media giving voice to government development aims is increasing, as is bribery of journalists - undermining efforts to professionalise journalism in some parts of the world.
The author describes Western journalism's reporting on development as having two underlying perspectives: sympathy, in the vein of presuming the necessity of intervention by rich
countries in the affairs of economically poor ones, and fear over increased competition for jobs and resources. The widespread view of senior journalists in the developing world, as reported here,
is that solutions will arise out of the countries themselves, a clash with Western coverage based around causes.
The article contrasts two duties of journalists from developing countries: 1) "rouse their own fellow
citizens, hold their governments to account,
and provide the basic information and analyses
that promote quality decisions by individual,
business, and state actors;" and 2) "interpret international forces, placing their own home turf into the context of the
wider world." The first is challenged by what the author calls "developmental journalism” in which journalists write for and from the government view of development priorities. However, the author reports "in much of the developing world, journalists have
abandoned any alliance with the state and have chosen, to one degree or another, to play the role of watch-dog and citizen advocate... Journalists implicitly understand that economic growth without social wellbeing is not acceptable. They also implicitly
embrace the values of transparency and accountability."
The methodology of reporting on development can include: bearing witness to the
suffering of ordinary people who have been
“left behind” using “saturation” reporting, a method that is especially inexpensive and available to local reporters. Another method is to pay more attention to non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and other non-state actors. The author cautions journalists with the impulse to demonise foreign institutions rather than raise questions about elites and governance at home. Blocking journalists in some countries from understanding and providing the development story from a global perspective are the relatively low pay, social status, and education of many
journalists.
The author’s three general recommendations for journalistic improvement globally are: give voice to the voiceless, look at what works, and blame and shame, but explain and correct,
too.
He gives divergent advice to journalists from developed and developing countries, first for those from developing countries:
- Use statistics better;
- Investigate the hunger-industrial complex in
their own countries; and
- Closely observe trends in food imports,
especially imports from wealthy countries.
And from developed countries:
- Report on famines with greater
sophistication;
- Give agriculture its due; and
- Pay attention to the struggling middle
classes.
In summary and reflecting their opinions, the six international journalists who write commentary focus on:
- Ania Lichtarowicz reporting for the United Kingdom - finding an interested outlet that will not impose
its bias on the story is a hurdle; training is key; and identifying opportunities offered by new technology could revolutionise the way development is reported.
- Nadia El-Awady for Egypt - it is important for journalists to monitor aid agencies; it is important to get the human side of the
story; in the developing world, there is a huge
problem with access to accurate information; journalists need a
publication both willing to cover the costs
and to publish it (uncensored content); and "airing the country’s dirty laundry" internationally can result in being ostracised.
- Madhavi Tata for India - cynical and upsetting reports are often associated with development reporting; journalists often view a micro-level success story as the general panacea; government statistics about economic growth alone cannot be synonymous with development nor can per capita income be a sole indicator; NGOs use media reports and journalists to attract
more donors; and, according to Western definitions, democracy is integral to development but, the author queries, would that mean development in China is stage-managed?
- Tetsuji Ida for Japan - stories on
development issues are not in mainstream reporting in Asia; reports on development issues still suffer too often from
stereotypes and are not seen as news; and a step forward might be to offer deep insights into development problems and
try to give voice to the voiceless.
- Peter Wamboga for Uganda - Journalism should portray correctly to
policymakers and donors the woes economically poor
people face and the issues they want addressed urgently; the Western media reach remote global sites, but with a set agenda and perception about the peasants, whereas travel is unaffordable for most journalists; authoritative voices (the World Bank and political rhetoric) are the sources of the problems with regard to development and journalism, rather than partners in the solutions; thus, journalists require empowerment just as the
communities they should report on do.
- Martín Kanenguiser for Argentina - Reporters are less willing to focus on the importance of development as a central issue in their stories because of Argentina's economic history of the last thirty years; too
many stories are offering poor explanations about the roots of problems of economic poverty; the global transformation of the media into a massive industry more concerned with business than with people is a partial cause; journalists dedicate too much time to short-term issues; and searching for solutions is the job of the government and the civil society as a whole, not the role of reporters.
