Facts matters

 “Journalists have a set of standards and ethics. What Facebook is going to do is get rid of that and then allow lies, anger, fear and hate to infect every single person on the platform.” Marria Ressa (courageous Filipino journalist who runs Rappler news site as she faced death threat from Duterte). Ms Ressa’s statement carry the right emotion and channelize growing concern of obfuscating facts by powerful entities. But she is wrong in her assertion here. Based in India I can vouch that media (within this people posing as journalists) do not have standards nor set standards and will not be allowed to, most don’t even understand nor are concerned about anything referred to as ethics. This is why this statement is so naïve indeed embarrassing, it seems an attempt to salvage semblance of normality in increasingly chaotic by invoking righteousness of past and entitled possessors. This will not do. If you have to safeguard facts then you surely will have to understand the context of mainstreaming facts and the forces at work. Fact is understood by the way it is worked and presented. Traditional arbitrators of facts have created narration that is being strongly challenged thanks to democratization of views in recent times. Views vary facts don’t. But the context of facts and the backstory of power and control that deviously try to align facts with narration needs scrutiny and evisceration. Those posing as media do not have carte blanche over controlling facts. That era is thankfully over, and except few nobody is regretting. The contemporary challenges need new narration that sync with the changing reality, a new means to address evolving complexity. Invoking past as standard will not help, it is simplistic folklore if not devious attempt at control.      

Mainstream media is about control, and within that control creating narration of goodness (consolidated as morals, closely aligning with dominant forces and normalizing systems of control) to gain validity among populace. It surely isn’t about fact dissemination but using the ruse of fact to stream views as it fits their agenda or immediate opportunities presented. With increased awareness common people know the crassness that goes under the garb of media. To expect media to be arbitrators of facts is foolhardy. Facts without context is meaningless. When the meaning is facilitated by narrow concerns and exploitative forces then facts are compromised. Facts becomes means for heuristic opportunism and control by few through everyday events that they carefully choose to focus. The system of control works within the framework of entrenched feudal values as it seeks opportunities to consolidate sentiments for easy regressive link with herd. Mainstream media, especially legacy media, primed in neoliberal value system is here to perpetuate extractive systems. They use language of democracy and euphemism of concern to gain and consolidate their authority through fig leaf of malleable facts. 

There are courageous honest upright journalists in India too but these are not mainstream. They work tirelessly at the grassroot or some subaltern publications (I too worked briefly in these), they question dominant narration as also bravely investigate corruption (in a primitive society that has corruption normalized from sanctum to pyre) and crucial matters that are adeptly avoided by mainstream media since it jostles the applecart of influence. Most are stifled and stamped out by powerful forces entrenched in the system -that mainstream media side with for gain (who carefully work to consolidate influence from proximity of power, through largesse, awards/posts/positions so on). Many of these committed people -who carry true meaning and import of journalism have shifted to online, it is also cheaper, raising issues that matters to common people without fear and have created substantial influence among common people. They are brutally dealt by the system while many are killed, the latest one in bastar recently by corrupt contractors -who are almost always nurtured by powerful forces. What is also to be noted is that mainstream ‘journalist’ (to call these opportunists journalists is a stretch and an insult on idea of democracy) use this opportunity to pose as empaths to vicariously position as active member of threatened section precariously fighting for justice meanwhile quite aware that the truth is anywhere near these posturing. They are just positioning for gain, appropriating someone’s sacrifice to consolidate their stature as also validate the exploitative system through valiant attempts to connect to ethics of dead idealist journalist with their dexterous turn of sentence and semantic flair adept to twist facts to wherever the wind blows, they deem to share these ethics and with narration control they presume they are successful in this con act -atleast to the envy of their close circle. These are fixers, word defecators and loud mouths, well placed in the system to understand the nuance of the game. They cannibalize on society and parasite on people. They perpetuate system of control and streamline primitiveness in the euphemism of modern. These are rotten ooze of festered world.  

Facts are important. Freedom of expression is equally important. In the era of social media nothing can be curtailed. Red line is threat of violence and invasion of privacy, as also rights of children. Social media challenges systems of control by giving voice to common people. It has diluted influence of entrenched interests. So, the question now is what to do when facts clash with freedom of expression? It has to be put in the context that facts weren’t really that sacred till recently as also easily manipulated by working the context, giving prominence to selected facts over the other as decided by few. Some facts were chosen and consolidated into entrenched narrations through views of powerful, it assumed legitimacy and credence over people. What has changed now is faster dissemination and far-reaching debilitating consequences. There are serious attempts by bad players to willfully spread lies and disinformation, incite people with conspiracy theories. There need to be stricter laws to deal with disinformation that create real life consequences. Consequence and context decide severity of punishment. Meanwhile common people need to be equipped in critical thinking as a long-term strategy, and I hope responsible societies are investing in these crucial areas (this blogger created module without much success, mediocre insulated Indians will take time). Twitter/X has created this innovative method of ‘community notes’ without hindering freedom to express. I think it works fine, and has helped to give context and attempts at verified facts. We also need an independent agency (not controlled by powerful vested interests) to provide these services that is also simultaneously open to scrutiny and verification. There is a need for innovative solutions in the fast-changing world. You also need to treat people with respect and empathize with their predicament and concerns -the world is in flux, while severely dealing and persistently negating deconstructing demystifying systems of control. Do not underestimate potential of free thinking. It is what defines a human.