New democracies pose a particular challenge for journalists. They are vulnerable and sometimes shaky. One wants them to work and, therefore, one is seeking to define not just what constitutes high-quality and interesting journalism but also how one can best contribute to helping democracy take root. In South Africa, journalists by and large emerged from many years of fighting against state, corporate, and political pressures under apartheid in the 1990s with a fierce commitment to independence. This sentiment was often strongest, predictably, in those institutions that had suffered the most political interference, such as the state broadcaster and the Afrikaans press, both of which had served largely as mouthpieces for the apartheid government.
You may also like

NOV 12, 2020 • Podcast
The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 3, with Noeleen Heyzer
In the third episode of "The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward," host Margaret P. Karns and Noeleen Heyzer, former executive director of ...

OCT 22, 2020 • Podcast
The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 2, with Maria Ivanova
In the second episode of this podcast series marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, host Margaret Karns, professor emerita at ...

AUG 7, 2019 • Podcast
AI & Human Rights: The Practical & Philosophical Dimensions, with Mathias Risse
Mathias Risse, director of Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, discusses the many connections between artificial intelligence and human rights. From practical ...