“Nothing, nothing, nothing in the world can destroy the soul as much as outright humiliation.” Vivian Gornick explores how humiliation can push us to do heinous acts. The most dangerous of humiliations was national humiliation. She cites the World Trade Centre attacks as an example caused by a century of humiliation. World War II had also been caused by humiliation on the world stage; the harsh punishment passed on Germany after World War I sowed a want for retribution that led to the rise of Hitler. 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
