Modern journalism began in 1885 a British journalist, WT Stead, uncovered a ring of child prostitution that prior to this the public had turned a blind eye to. As a result of this story the government was forced to bring in the Criminal Law Amendment Act, changing the female age of consent from 13 to 16.
Do journalists in 2010 have the same effect on the country? And if not why don’t they? In some recent cases it has been shown that even when a journalist does uncover a major scandal nothing happens about it. We have seen people like Bertie Ahern, Charlie Haughey and the Bailey Brothers swindle money from the country and cheat taxes but when this is shown to the people and the courts no punishment is handed down. All of these high profile people have impunity and effectively cannot be touched.
So should journalists continue to work this way in an attempt to bring about a change and have their work recognised? Or should they merely conform to the orthodox and concede to the inertia that we see in our society? Journalists should be urging people to ask questions of our state, government and society and forcing them to not take things as they are told. Look for the bigger picture in the small scandals we see every day and maybe they might be able to make a few well needed changes in our country.
