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20 New Year's Resolutions for News, Journalism and Social Media
(Just 20. There can be many, many more.)
Jan 02, 2017
1. Avoid use of headlines and writing of tweets that misrepresent and/or oversimplify the content of linked-to articles. Headlines matter as they frame the stories for users.
2. Call racism "racism".
3. Call sexism "sexism".
4. Call terrorism "terrorism", and be consistent in the use of the term regardless of the ethnicity, religion, national origin and ideological motivation(s) of the perpetrator(s).
5. Reduce the spread of graphic photos that serve the interests of the terrorists and clicks more than journalism and the public interest. The choice to not spread is also the exercise of free speech rights.
6. Don't spread unconfirmed rumors during a time of crisis. That only serves to increase fear, instability and (possibly) life-threatening danger. The same goes for unconfirmed death-toll numbers.
7. Avoid the use of natural disaster terminology ("flood", "tsunami", "deluge", "swarm") to describe migrants and refugees. These are humans.
8. Call out attempts at phony journalistic "balance" when the issue at hand has no credible/rational/intellectual oppositional argument (like the impact of human activity on global warming).
9. Remind yourself that social media platforms are not "neutral". They are huge, profit-hungry enterprises. That impacts their decisions.
10. Remind others that boycotting a publisher, or blocking people on Twitter, isn't censorship. Misuse of the term makes rational debate difficult.
11. Journalism should not treat Feminism as a "special interest" topic. Sexism is real. Women make up the majority of the earth's human population. Men are in the minority. Feminism is a general interest topic that should be normalized.
12. News organizations that discriminate against women who appear on-screen on the basis of their age and/or appearance are sexist, and perpetuate sexism.
13. Pundits and commentators who appear on air, and are interviewed in print, do not have carte blanche to say anything without push-back. Being labeled an "expert" should not be a green light to bullshit.
14. Diversify commentators beyond the standard group of ex-politicians, military and fellow journalists. Bring in activists, unions, non-profits and well-informed community leaders, and make a concerted effort to have gender balance.
15. Eliminate the use of language created by PR companies to make bad things sound neutral: collateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, native advertising, downsizing,etc.
16. Realize that good, vibrant local news is really, really important...and support it.
17. Support Public Service Broadcasting, if it exists where you live. If it disappears, you will miss it.
18. Remember that the popular is also political.
19. Don't superimpose worldviews. The world extends beyond the US and Europe. What is not dissent in Sweden, for example, may very well be dissent somewhere else. How media are used may be very different. And the law. And social norms. And access to the Internet. And access to electricity.
20. Follow a lot of journalists and news organizations diametrically opposed to your politics. Know your opponent.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Christian Christensen
Christian Christensen, American in Sweden, is Professor of Journalism at Stockholm University. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrChristensen
1. Avoid use of headlines and writing of tweets that misrepresent and/or oversimplify the content of linked-to articles. Headlines matter as they frame the stories for users.
2. Call racism "racism".
3. Call sexism "sexism".
4. Call terrorism "terrorism", and be consistent in the use of the term regardless of the ethnicity, religion, national origin and ideological motivation(s) of the perpetrator(s).
5. Reduce the spread of graphic photos that serve the interests of the terrorists and clicks more than journalism and the public interest. The choice to not spread is also the exercise of free speech rights.
6. Don't spread unconfirmed rumors during a time of crisis. That only serves to increase fear, instability and (possibly) life-threatening danger. The same goes for unconfirmed death-toll numbers.
7. Avoid the use of natural disaster terminology ("flood", "tsunami", "deluge", "swarm") to describe migrants and refugees. These are humans.
8. Call out attempts at phony journalistic "balance" when the issue at hand has no credible/rational/intellectual oppositional argument (like the impact of human activity on global warming).
9. Remind yourself that social media platforms are not "neutral". They are huge, profit-hungry enterprises. That impacts their decisions.
10. Remind others that boycotting a publisher, or blocking people on Twitter, isn't censorship. Misuse of the term makes rational debate difficult.
11. Journalism should not treat Feminism as a "special interest" topic. Sexism is real. Women make up the majority of the earth's human population. Men are in the minority. Feminism is a general interest topic that should be normalized.
12. News organizations that discriminate against women who appear on-screen on the basis of their age and/or appearance are sexist, and perpetuate sexism.
13. Pundits and commentators who appear on air, and are interviewed in print, do not have carte blanche to say anything without push-back. Being labeled an "expert" should not be a green light to bullshit.
14. Diversify commentators beyond the standard group of ex-politicians, military and fellow journalists. Bring in activists, unions, non-profits and well-informed community leaders, and make a concerted effort to have gender balance.
15. Eliminate the use of language created by PR companies to make bad things sound neutral: collateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, native advertising, downsizing,etc.
16. Realize that good, vibrant local news is really, really important...and support it.
17. Support Public Service Broadcasting, if it exists where you live. If it disappears, you will miss it.
18. Remember that the popular is also political.
19. Don't superimpose worldviews. The world extends beyond the US and Europe. What is not dissent in Sweden, for example, may very well be dissent somewhere else. How media are used may be very different. And the law. And social norms. And access to the Internet. And access to electricity.
20. Follow a lot of journalists and news organizations diametrically opposed to your politics. Know your opponent.
Christian Christensen
Christian Christensen, American in Sweden, is Professor of Journalism at Stockholm University. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrChristensen
1. Avoid use of headlines and writing of tweets that misrepresent and/or oversimplify the content of linked-to articles. Headlines matter as they frame the stories for users.
2. Call racism "racism".
3. Call sexism "sexism".
4. Call terrorism "terrorism", and be consistent in the use of the term regardless of the ethnicity, religion, national origin and ideological motivation(s) of the perpetrator(s).
5. Reduce the spread of graphic photos that serve the interests of the terrorists and clicks more than journalism and the public interest. The choice to not spread is also the exercise of free speech rights.
6. Don't spread unconfirmed rumors during a time of crisis. That only serves to increase fear, instability and (possibly) life-threatening danger. The same goes for unconfirmed death-toll numbers.
7. Avoid the use of natural disaster terminology ("flood", "tsunami", "deluge", "swarm") to describe migrants and refugees. These are humans.
8. Call out attempts at phony journalistic "balance" when the issue at hand has no credible/rational/intellectual oppositional argument (like the impact of human activity on global warming).
9. Remind yourself that social media platforms are not "neutral". They are huge, profit-hungry enterprises. That impacts their decisions.
10. Remind others that boycotting a publisher, or blocking people on Twitter, isn't censorship. Misuse of the term makes rational debate difficult.
11. Journalism should not treat Feminism as a "special interest" topic. Sexism is real. Women make up the majority of the earth's human population. Men are in the minority. Feminism is a general interest topic that should be normalized.
12. News organizations that discriminate against women who appear on-screen on the basis of their age and/or appearance are sexist, and perpetuate sexism.
13. Pundits and commentators who appear on air, and are interviewed in print, do not have carte blanche to say anything without push-back. Being labeled an "expert" should not be a green light to bullshit.
14. Diversify commentators beyond the standard group of ex-politicians, military and fellow journalists. Bring in activists, unions, non-profits and well-informed community leaders, and make a concerted effort to have gender balance.
15. Eliminate the use of language created by PR companies to make bad things sound neutral: collateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, native advertising, downsizing,etc.
16. Realize that good, vibrant local news is really, really important...and support it.
17. Support Public Service Broadcasting, if it exists where you live. If it disappears, you will miss it.
18. Remember that the popular is also political.
19. Don't superimpose worldviews. The world extends beyond the US and Europe. What is not dissent in Sweden, for example, may very well be dissent somewhere else. How media are used may be very different. And the law. And social norms. And access to the Internet. And access to electricity.
20. Follow a lot of journalists and news organizations diametrically opposed to your politics. Know your opponent.
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