According to Margaret Sullivan, the longest-serving public editor of the New York Times and current Guardian US columnist, journalism has the potential to save democracies from collapse, but only if it adopts a “radical transparency” approach with its audience. Sullivan highlighted that almost 40% of people across the globe do not trust mainstream media, making it difficult for free societies to function properly. She explained that trustworthy journalism could help preserve global democracy. Sullivan argued that democracy depends on truth, and truth depends on good journalism.
To combat the issue of media mistrust, Sullivan advised media organisations to be more open with the public about their reporting techniques and sources. She proposed “radical transparency” whereby journalists explain how they came to conclusions and share primary information with their audience. Sullivan further emphasised that engaging with the public in this way would help enhance their “news literacy” – a valuable tool in an era of fake news, clickbait, and alternative facts.
Sullivan also highlighted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a growing concern. As AI becomes more widespread, it is increasingly difficult to identify fake news, deepfakes and other forms of misleading content in journalism. Sullivan called for reporters to take on subjects that matter, such as climate change, and make them compelling to the general public.
Sullivan expressed concern over the decline of local journalism, stating that local papers were closing at an alarming rate of two a week in the US. She stressed the importance of community-specific journalism and how it can help to bridge the gap between the media and the public.
Sullivan served as the New York Times’s public editor from 2012-16, and she criticised the paper’s decision to eliminate the position in 2017. She stated that without an ombudsman, there is no recourse for readers to challenge unethical practices, and this is highly unfortunate.
