Helping to Resolve Issues

Edited by Ellen Schnier
by Cristina Mutchler

Photo courtesy of Pap Blog

For any improvements to be made in the lives of underrepresented and impoverished people in Third World countries, we as journalists hold the key through communication. Jason Motlagh showed us how we as young international journalists can help shed light on some of these global issues. Many people in the United States do not have any knowledge or understanding of the tensions and crises that occur in Third World countries. I was even unaware of the intensity of the economic, religious, and ethnic tensions in India prior to our class discussion. On this issue, I would report on economic inequality and why it exists, perhaps focusing on the inherent disparity in the caste system. I would demonstrate how the unequal distribution of wealth contributes to social unrest. By reporting on such inequality, I hope to reach the attention of policy makers in Western countries in order to open a dialog about how to increase the stability of developing nations, such as India, and how that will effect the rest of the world. By exposing such issues through the news media, I hope to put pressure on the governments of Third World nations to reach out to the poor and oppressed.

Throughout the course, we discussed many issues relating to the crises and tensions throughout the world and the importance of international journalists in reporting these conflicts. Knowledge is power. The poor in Third World countries need power and by bringing such issues out into the open, it could force governments in other countries to alleviate their condition. Even after addressing such issues, however, some government intervention fails. American intervention in Iraq, for example, failed to implement change. In class, we have learned that journalists must not parrot the government position but must report honestly and accurately so that we can work together to shed light on the critical issues worldwide and help resolve them.