Margaret Atwood posits that the recent war between Ukraine and Russia may result in open debate, human rights, and evidence being seen as important again by society. She feels that both the political right and the left had fallen into the trap of thinking that beliefs trumped the truth and that democracy was a failed system. However, she notes that Ukraine’s efforts seem to have changed the minds of some of these detractors, thinking that democracy and the values it represents are worth fighting for after all. 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
