We have to protect the voice of truth
THE Roman poet Juvenal famously asked: ‘Who will guard the guardians?’ Who, in other words, will ensure that our leaders adhere to the truth and fulfil their responsibilities to the people they govern? If you want to know why journalism matters, it is because it remains the only profession which serves that vital function.
There are many good reasons for ‘Journalism Matters Week’, which begins today. At a time of major challenges for the newspaper industry, the public needs to be reminded of what it stands to lose if the sector is under threat. The Government also needs to recognise why protecting the newspaper industry is of huge importance, not only to the health of democracy, but to safeguard transparency, truth and justice.
Journalists are not simply reporters, even if that is an essential part of what they do. They are, first and foremost, agents of truth. At a time when mass media has created a culture of distortion, ungrounded opinion and so-called ‘fake news’, journalists refuse to simply judge by appearances. They go beyond the surface of a story, digging deeply where others prefer to turn a blind eye. They are guided by facts, by evidence that can neither be refuted nor rejected by those with vested interests. In so doing, they hold the powerful to account and give a voice to those who have been silenced.
Whether it be the Church, the banks, charities or the political system, it is solely thanks to Irish journalists that abuse, financial corruption and unethical practices were uncovered. This newspaper, for example, first revealed the tragic story of the Tuam babies’ mass grave. Despite being dismissed by doubters and sceptics, we continued to probe until the shocking truth could no longer be denied.
That there is now a Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes is due to the perseverance of our journalists. As such, they have served the greater good because, without them, the secrets of the voiceless would have remained buried.
Journalism matters because it is a moral vocation. By shining a light into dark places, by keeping politics honest and institutions accountable, journalists ensure ethical accountability. That is why, of course, any attempt to curtail the freedom of the press is an attack on liberty itself. Without truth, honesty and principle, democracy becomes a parody of itself.
However, by following leads that take them wherever a story seeks to go, journalists defend us against those who would deny truth in favour of fabrication. So long as they can do so without political interference, the guardians will remain answerable to the people.
Journalism matters because we all desire to see justice done, to see the rights of ordinary citizens vindicated and our political masters subject to scrutiny.
As Sam Smyth reveals in these pages today, while this is fraught with danger and risk, it is a price worth paying if the alternative serves to threaten the security of the State. ‘Journalism Matters Week’ begins today but let us never forget the indispensable function that journalism plays every day. Taking it for granted is to risk the truth that sets us free.