Quality journalism exposes threats to democracy

If you’d asked me a number of years ago, I’d have said New Zealanders were pretty progressive when it came to matters of race. Having come from a background in the arts, I thought we were a happy-go-lucky bunch, who understood and celebrated each other’s differences.

These days, you need only turn to the comments section (or Facebook feed) of any of our online news outlets, and you’ll soon see that’s not always the case.

Comment sections aren’t exactly known for fostering thoughtful or considerate conversation at the best of times – but overwhelmingly, it’s the articles that call out racism which generate the most (and the most unpleasant) discussion.

That’s true whether it’s an article critiquing Australia’s treatment of refugees, disputing claims the

Ma¯ ori community receives preferential treatment, or daring to suggest that white guys in suits don’t always make the best leaders.

For me, it’s a litmus test which puts a spotlight on New Zealand’s problems of inequality and discrimination.

Social media has played a massive part in lifting the lid on this sort of behaviour, giving people a platform to share their views, unchecked. The sorts of views that once might only have shown up in the Letters to the Editor section – but alongside a raft of others – so readers were at least given the chance to see the bigger picture.

With social media algorithms designed to tailor the experience, and show people more of the content they like and want to engage with – creating an echo chamber of opinion – perhaps it’s no wonder people seem to feel (now more than ever) that they can say whatever or behave however they like.

Opinions are fine, but we should never think the world around us has to bend to our point of view, nor should we get angry if and when it doesn’t. But these days, so many people are angry.

So, who do we turn to in order to challenge these problematic perspectives?

For as long as I can remember, quality investigative journalism has played a critical role in uncovering and addressing issues that have undermined people’s experience of a safe and democratic society.

International examples go back as far as Watergate (and further), right up to The Guardian’s Cambridge Analytica expose´ last year. In 1980s New Zealand, there was the Sunday News investigation that laid bare the dangers of asbestos.

And just a few months ago, Newsroom’s story on Oranga Tamariki. Whatever your thoughts on that series, you can’t deny its impact.

At its best, that’s what journalism is about – holding people to account, calling people out for racist behaviours, making sure public services are made answerable for their actions when they step out of line – and helping to shape a balanced and constructive conversation. Keeping us safe, that’s the news media’s job.

We’re lucky to have quality journalism in New Zealand, particularly when in so many other places around the world journalists are forced to put their lives at risk in pursuit of the truth.

A safe and healthy society comes down to what we put into our minds and what comes out of our mouths, just as much as what we put into our bodies. That’s why, as a nation, we have a responsibility to engage with quality journalism – because we can, and because having it is a privilege.