By Martina Amelia
A free press is critical to saving lives, mitigating the impacts of humanitarian disasters and strengthening other disaster preparedness and risk reduction.
This is according to a new UN report titled The Value of Journalism: Global Evidence on Why Media Matters to Economies, National Security and Crises, which links greater press freedom to lower risks of conflict, repression and human rights violations.
Drawing on research spanning 152 countries, the UNESCO report identifies trusted journalism as a crucial source for countering false and harmful disinformation, and finds that reliable media coverage strengthens government accountability, helps affected communities access support, and pushes officials to act.
According to organization, good reporting also leads to a more efficient and extensive emergency response, while critical journalism functions as a watchdog over the humanitarian aid sector itself, driving reform and more effective outcomes.
The report warns that false narratives and rumours worsen crises, undermine community preparedness and can even prevent aid from reaching people in need. False reporting, it adds, can also fuel conflict and trigger violence against humanitarian workers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the spread of health-related disinformation during crises as an “infodemic.” The report cites one study estimating that disinformation caused nearly 2.3 million cases and 66,000 hospitalisations in the United States in 2021 alone resulting in $2 billion in extra hospitalisation costs and 45,000 avoidable deaths.
The report cites multiple real-world examples of journalism’s impact including in Burkina Faso, where radio programmes on the risks of infant malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea significantly increased the rate at which caregivers sought medical care, reducing under-five deaths by an average of 7.15 percent per year and saving an estimated 2,967 children’s lives.
A Los Angeles Times investigation led to new building codes that made the city more earthquake-resilient while a in Nigeria, radio programming addressing COVID-19 misinformation and vaccine hesitancy helped regular listeners identify and challenge false narratives. Investigative reporting prompted authorities in Thailand to act on wastewater discharge from a landfill site, while reporting on illegal sand mining in Uganda led to a nationwide ban.
The report also highlights journalism’s ability to drive charitable giving. British journalist Michael Buerk’s 1984 BBC reports from Ethiopia are credited with raising more than $200 million for famine relief, while Turkish photojournalist Nilüfer Demir’s 2015 photograph of drowned toddler Alan Kurdi drew global attention to the Syrian conflict, triggering a spike in donations that included a 50-fold increase in funding for some non-governmental organisations.
Journalism has also driven accountability within the aid sector itself, the report notes, pointing to the #AidToo scandal, in which reporting exposed abuse of power and a culture of impunity involving the NGOs Oxfam and Save the Children in Haiti.
UNESCO said it supports media literacy efforts worldwide as part of broader work to strengthen the role of trusted journalism in emergencies.
