Cultural anthropology seems to have failed spectacularly at combating racism. While those in the field wanted to prove that xenophobia and racism were “morally bankrupt”, and that humans were only different culturally, their prejudices betrayed them. For example, Franz Boas, a prominent figure in the field, attempted to defend the Inuits but ended up patronising them; he was delighted to report that they were not as dirty as he expected them to be. 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
