Watchdog journalism & democracy

Watchdog journalism & democracy Wallace Chuma

Introduction • The discourse of watchdog journalism is part of a bigger discourse about the role of journalism in democratic life • This discourse has been dominated by liberal and radical approaches (Curran, 1996, 2000)

Cont… • Liberal approaches conceive the media’s role as being predominantly watchdogs of the state, and argue against public regulation of the media. • Radical approaches view the media’s role in relation of dominant power structures in society.

Cont… • Traditional political economists of the media see the media as purveyors of dominant, capitalist ideology. • Other scholars view the media’s role as voices of the voiceless, and sources of information, entertainment and cultural pedagogy (e.g, Keane, 1991).

Cont… • The role of the media in democracy and democratisation has also been viewed in relation to Habermas’s concept of public sphere (Habermas, 1969,1992; Dahlgren and Sparks, 1991) • As public spheres, the media should be institutional entry points for untrammelled national debate

Cont… • The media should also be accessible, diverse, and content must enhance rational-critical debate.

Watchdog journalism • Most popular in liberal scholarship of media and democracy. • Watchdog primarily in relation to the state and occupants of public office. • The role entails critical surveillance of the state, in the public interest • Holding elected officials, the state, big business to account is key to a functioning democracy.

Cont… • The success of watchdog role is usually achieved when corrupt public officials are caught and brought to book, in the process saving society from “rotten apples”. • The watchdog role is viewed as consistent with market regulation, as opposed to state/public regulation of media.

Investigative journalism • Central to the watchdog role is the practice of investigative journalism. • This involves sustained critical surveillance and monitoring of abuse of power and authority in official circles and providing an “early warning system”/ringing alarm bells.

Cont… • There are numerous celebrated cases of investigative journalism, including Watergate in the US. • -In SA, there have also been investigative pieces that have ignited official political action on culprits, eg, the arms deal investigations resulting in the prosecution of Schabir Shaik and the sacking of Jacob Zuma

Cont… • Also Oilgate, Dubai scandal investigations. • 2003 Mbeki wrote about “fishers of corrupt men” in relation to the arms deal, accusing the media of seeking only to discredit political authority • Typical of press-state tension around merits of investigative journalism

Debate about the watchdog role • There is increasing debate about whether the media are watchdogs or lapdogs; or whether the watchdogs bark at selective targets. • Part of the cynicism with watchdog journalism stems from the drastic cuts on investigative journalism by newsrooms worldwide, and the increasing preference for light/entertainment news.

Cont… • As news media seek to operate competitively in the global economy, they’ve had to cut down expensive newsgathering operations. The presence of press statements (and spin) and the internet also helps keep the “news cycle” but at much cheaper costs

Cont… • The watchdog role has also been challenged on account of the role and influence of both corporate and political hierarchies on the news agenda. • The media are both cultural/political and economic/business institutions, and this dual identity imposes some limitations on their capacity as watchdogs

Cont… • Watchdog role originally conceived in relation to the Leviathan state, which was too powerful. In the 21st century capital is an equally powerful institution and potential threat to democracy. • Watchdog role is key to the media’s role in democracy, but is enhanced when the watchdog is effective, barks at ALL threats to democracy.

Watchdog journalism & democracy