The olive oil industry seems to have its fair share of controversies, making it difficult to buy a clean and ethical product. Aside from the Mafia seemingly having some sort of stake in the industry, Italian olive oils are often built on the backs of trafficked slave labour. Migrants are paid pennies and kept in deplorable conditions during harvest seasons. Some blame the demand for cheap goods; farmers are unable to pay living wages because no one will buy their produce if they raise the price. 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