These Days, No Reporting Behind a Nation’s Back

People with problems are sometimes more willing to confide in strangers than close friends or neighbors. But foreign news reports are no longer shielded by distance, explains Anand Giridharadas in the New York Times. “In the Internet age, we cover each place for the benefit of all places, and the reported-on are among the most avid consumers of what we report,” he explains. The globally astute are curious about examining how others throughout the world describe and regard their communities. Unlike a few decades ago, these media monitors can immediately respond to inaccurate or unfair coverage, often catching more errors than trained editors. Such instant technology poses challenges, though, reducing the willingness of some sources to confide in foreign journalists or allowing organized mass protests encouraged by those who resent the truth emerging. Giridharadas concludes that “keeping abreast of the Internet chatter is not the same as bearing witness.” Readers and correspondents alike must follow stories, assess sources and keep an open mind. – YaleGlobal