Volodymyr Kish.
Writing, and journalism in particular, tends to be a relatively solitary occupation. Although collaboration with others is sometimes required, most of the time it is just me and the keyboard. The outside world is relegated to the fringes of my consciousness, and I open up the gates to the thoughts, ideas and opinions that seem to be perpetually brewing in my restless mind. The next step is to then to organize those into some coherent string of sentences and to set them down on the virtual paper that masquerades as a word processor inside my computer. Oftentimes, the process is interrupted by a need to verify a fact, gather additional info or do further research in support of the points I am trying to get across. Eventually, it all comes together into the 750 to 800 words that comprise my weekly op-ed for this paper.
Although I have a fairly wide network of friends and contacts that work as journalists and other related occupations within all the major forms of media, it is not too often that I get to dialogue with them in person. One opportunity to do so is at conferences and panels organized by an association I belong to named the Ukrainian Journalists of North America. As numbers go, it is not a large organization, comprising of only some forty people involved in the Ukrainian media in Canada and the U.S. Nonetheless, they represent the major news sources and outlets for the Ukrainian communities of the two countries, encompassing newspapers, TV programs and radio. As such, I believe we not only have a solid understanding of the pulse and thinking of those communities, but also that we are able to significantly influence how they deal with the various issues and challenges that they face as diaspora Ukrainians.
We had our most recent conference this past weekend at the Soyuzivka Ukrainian resort situated in the picturesque Catskill mountains of New York State. Within the rarified mountain air and lush forested surroundings, we spent several days delving deeply into the challenges we face in our adopted profession. The expertise and experience of the participants was broad and varied, ranging from academic scholars with doctorates, students, film and television producers and directors, freelance writers and columnists, Voice of America professionals and talented self-taught amateurs associated with Ukrainian media in some way.
The major topic that permeated most discussions was, unsurprisingly, the recent deluge of fake news and disinformation that has become so prevalent, and is posing an existential challenge to the integrity, relevance and continuity of established media, especially when it comes to the dissemination of news. Until fairly recently, most people trusted in the veracity and integrity of established news sources. Three developments over the past decade have caused a significant erosion in this premise.
The most important of these has been the rapid expansion and evolution of the internet and the corresponding explosive growth in social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and others. For many people, these have become their primary and often only source for news. Sadly, there has been minimal attempt to control or verify the factuality or truth behind much of the content being propagated through these channels. The “wild west” nature of this media channel has led to its considerable exploitation by commercial, political and even criminal elements for dubious purposes.
The second major development has been the concerted effort by Russia and its secret services to sow disinformation and discord amongst the free and democratic states of the world, which they view as their enemies. Considerable time, money and resources are being expended to subvert the U.S., NATO, the E.U., the G7, and other organizations that seek to promote peace, co-operation and a globalist approach to the problems of humankind. These are antithetical to the aims and very existence of authoritarian states such as Russia, so they will stop at nothing to sabotage the evolution of a peaceful world order.
The third major threat that has come about is the rise in recent times of populist political demagogues who have succeeded in getting elected by catering to and exploiting the current widespread discontent and anger of the lower strata of society. This visceral anger comes from the realization that their aspirations for a comfortable middle-class life has now become an unrealistic dream. The populist politicians have sown fear and appealed to the baser instincts of the disaffected classes, promoting division, hatred, racism, ad hominem attacks, and distrust of the political establishment “elites” that they hold accountable for the current perceived crisis in our societies. They have deliberately and consistently undermined the established media and new sources with accusations of “fake news”, the “phony press” and numerous conspiracies by these elites to hide the real truth, which only they possess.
It should be noted that we are not just talking about the current leadership of the U.S. Similar things are taking place in Hungary, Italy, Turkey, Poland and many other countries.
The biggest casualty in all this has been the steady erosion of public trust in the media. Who is telling the truth, and who is distorting it or lying outright? Who can you trust? Who do I turn to to find the facts?
This is the dilemma facing the journalist in today’s troubled world. It is one that we really need to learn to manage fast, or one of the key pillars of our democratic and free way of life will disappear. The threat is existential, not only to the field of journalism, but to our broader society as well.
Share on Social Media
