An Open Letter to Media Leaders

Through a series of open letters, we aim to reach out to governments, political agencies, civil societies, investors, communities and to business leaders. This is a universal request and call for action to be a part of the change we all seek in the world currently. 

This letter invites media leaders to consider three action requests.

Dear Media Leaders, 

We, at OneBarrow, celebrate the positive impact that the media creates by raising awareness and asking pertinent questions about social issues.

People from all walks of life rely on your industry to make sense of the changes and challenges they see around themselves. There is however, a continued lack of awareness about a range of social, economic and ecological concerns that people face, which need to be highlighted through your influential channels. Owing to the ever-present need of trustworthy journalism, we invite you to consider three action requests:

1. Report proactively

People have been conditioned to respond to immediate crises that are reported on, and ignore complex problems that may pose even bigger risks, because the latter develop slowly. Reporting on issues like poor governance and impending climate change is valuable as it allows people to properly appraise the dangers of these issues. We urge you to use your powerful platforms to bring on members of underserved communities and corporations involved in challenging social responsibility spheres to generate discussions on issues that are affecting the world.

2. Be a partner is community growth

Media narratives are very influential in shaping the perception of corporations, investors and the people. Repeatedly referring to a community using powerful, negative stereotypes drives away investment from their backyards. Focus on highlighting the lack of resources like quality education institutes and clinics in a region where people are deprived, instead of just focusing on crime or poverty rates that affect the area. After highlighting the need, push stakeholders like corporations and investors to contribute towards the growth of these communities. Leaders like yourself have created public platforms that are accessed by thousands of people. These platforms could easily be utilized to champion the cause of underprivileged people and to nudge private corporations towards giving back to society.

3. Celebrate people’s victories

While the press needs to be hard hitting and critical, it also needs to highlight the spirit of growth and development that is shared by people and economic institutions. Improve the coverage of corporate social responsibility initiatives and sustainable development projects. Companies which commit their resources to developmental projects benefit by receiving publicity and building goodwill. This publicity is socially valuable as it will in turn inspire other organizations to get involved in corporate social responsibility. Allocate some of your resources to shine a spotlight on the work of genuine pioneers of social upliftment that we all can emulate and tell powerful stories that move people.

Citizens, corporates and political leaders are better able to commit to sustainability on a personal level and are able to ask other stakeholders to get involved in solution-building, using the information and guidance through powerful and responsible media that your industry provides. 

As a journalist you are valuable, and you can make a difference by depicting the situation in the world that needs attention. Thank you for the work that you do. Thank you for being a journalist and bringing us stories.

Yours sincerely, 
OneBarrow

Riya Shankar Sharma
Content Writer, OneBarrow