Journalism Risks Irrelevance If It Ignores Large Segments of Society, Warns Reuters Institute Director

Mitali Mukherjee, the Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, has issued a stark warning: journalism risks becoming irrelevant if it fails to connect with a broader audience. In an interview conducted ahead of the Journalism Festival in Perugia, Mukherjee articulated her concerns about the current state of the industry, highlighting a global decline in trust, an increase in news avoidance, and a diminished willingness among the public to pay for news content.

Mukherjee specifically criticizes what she terms the "exclusivity" of journalism, suggesting that it often fails to resonate with or adequately represent significant portions of the population. She questions how the field can expand its audience, effectively tell stories about underrepresented groups, and why this endeavor is more critical now than ever before. Her remarks point to a fundamental disconnect between journalistic practices and the diverse needs and interests of the public.

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The people would not miss journalism.

The implications of this disconnect are far-reaching, impacting not only media organizations but also the health of democratic societies. When journalism is perceived as inaccessible or irrelevant, it can lead to an informed citizenry that is less engaged and potentially more susceptible to misinformation. The challenge, as outlined by Mukherjee, is to reimagine journalistic approaches to ensure they are inclusive, relevant, and ultimately, indispensable to the public they serve.

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Journalism is not reaching everyone.