Factual reports serve democracy

Most of the public does not trust most of the news Reuters Institute.

- KATHY ENGLISH

WORLD NEWS DAY: MISINFORMATION MORE PREVALENT.

Journalism has long been, first and foremost, a calling to seek and report the truth.

"Truth should be their idol, their first and last consideration always," stated an 1853 article titled Truth in Journalism, published in Scientific American Magazine.

"Seek truth and report it," states the first ethic of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, drafted in 1926.

"Journalism's first obligation is to the truth," echoes Principle 1 of The Elements of Journalism, the now classic 2001 work.

This year, on World News Day on Saturday, a global initiative to draw public attention to the role journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information that serves citizens and democracy, we draw together around the world to "Choose Truth".

World News Day is organised by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), the World Editors Forum and Daily Maverick's Project Kontinuum.