During a recent Women in Journalism event marking International Women’s Day, Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, spoke with Rachel Corp, CEO of ITN about this issue.
Their conversation explored the role journalism plays in exposing injustice and holding power to account by reporting the truth. As Katharine put it, journalism has a public duty to find injustice and call it out. When that’s done well, it strengthens democracy.
But they both also spoke about the challenges facing journalists today. Newsrooms are having to navigate a constant flow of content, trying to verify what is real and what isn’t.
At the same time, audiences are questioning where they can find information they can trust. They are looking for news reflecting different viewpoints and real life.
In that environment, credibility matters. And that authenticity often comes from the people closest to the story. Those who have lived it, who can explain what it feels like and why it matters. People who have lived through injustice bring insight that statistics, policy and commentary simply can’t.
In a time when trust in institutions is fragile, those human perspectives help reconnect journalism to the realities people are living every day.
At Sounddelivery Media, this belief is at the heart of our work.
We support people with lived experience of social injustice to share their expertise in the media and beyond. Through training, mentoring and media and speaking opportunities, we help grassroots leaders develop the confidence and skills to speak publicly about the issues affecting their communities.
Because diverse representation remains a challenge, both inside of the newsroom and in whose voices are heard in the stories themselves. When the same perspectives dominate, you get the same old stories. But when you encourage diversity into the newsroom and widen the range of voices within storytelling, you get truth and credibility.
Again and again, I see people within our network step forward who may never have imagined themselves as public spokespeople. Yet, they carry deep knowledge about the systems shaping their lives and the lives of their communities. They have a passion that opens people’s eyes and ears to issues they might otherwise overlook. We know that when those voices are heard, public conversations shift. People begin to listen and most importantly, understand.
Of course, speaking publicly about injustice isn’t easy. The media landscape, and particularly social media, can be a hostile place, especially for women and people from marginalised communities. That’s why support, training and strong peer networks matter so much for those who choose to use their voices. And that’s why the work of Sounddelivery Media matters so much.
We’ve created a network of lived experience voices who all have direct experience of some of the biggest social issues facing the UK today. As the news landscape becomes more complex to navigate, the demand for authentic voices will continue to grow. And for us, that means ensuring people with lived experience are at the forefront of those conversations every day.