The pedagogical role of journalism – 09/21/2023 – Education

In the first half of the year, the sequence of attacks committed at schools in Brazil sparked an important debate about the role and responsibility of journalists when reporting tragedies of this nature. Several media outlets have adopted protocols to avoid unnecessary exposure of victims and possible glamorization of perpetrators of violence — ceasing to disclose, for example, their name or social media.

At the time, decisions like this were widely publicized by some journalistic companies, which, rightly, fulfilled their mission not only to inform what is in the public interest but also to explain with what criteria they carry out this task.

Failing to present some information to the public can cause the media outlet to be seen as “less complete” in relation to the competition. However, it is important to understand the importance of such choices, as research shows that the exhaustive publication of some data related to episodes of violence has a “contagion effect”, eventually encouraging other attacks.

More conscious action by the press can (and should) go further. One proposal is to explain editorial decisions about how to cover attacks every time a report on the topic is published, and not just in the early days of news coverage.

Initiatives like this make journalism more transparent and connected with the audience and were debated in depth this week during the 7th International Congress of Education Journalism, organized by Jeduca (an association that brings together journalists dedicated to this area).

What we read, see and hear in the press significantly influences the way we see the world and, therefore, it is essential that there is reflection and transparency in the news construction process.

This is the pedagogical role of journalism, which needs — at all times — to carefully examine its practices: which stories are being told; how to tell them as clearly as possible; what images are published and why; which voices are being privileged or omitted; among many other issues. These precautions should not be restricted to covering attacks, but rather need to be present in the day-to-day activities of newsrooms, ensuring a more assertive dialogue between the press and the audience.

More important than the speed of reporting is the credibility and responsibility of journalism — which needs to differentiate itself from so much other content dumped on social media by people who have not yet paid attention to the negative consequences of disseminating images and sensitive data about episodes of violence . This does not only happen in cases of attacks committed in schools, but also with accidents (especially if celebrities are involved), for example.

Today we have, at the touch of a button, a wealth of information on the most diverse events. Understanding that not everyone has the same precision or treats facts with the same responsibility is an essential skill for society as a whole.