Primatologist and ethologist Frans de Waal once said that chimpanzees were not moral beings and that animals don’t care about fairness unless they are experiencing injustice themselves. However, there are several observations that can be considered as evidence against Waal’s claim. Chimpanzees are observed to become agitated when they sense a disparity in rewards even when they are the ones benefitting from the arrangement; they refuse to work when another chimpanzee is getting “mediocre carrots” while they are getting tasty grapes. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
