Protecting the citizen: Political journalists as gatekeepers in the digital age

Abstract

The gatekeeping function of political journalism has never been as important. What has become known as the ‘infodemic’, the spread of spurious and false claims, has shown itself a threat to public health and well-being. Journalism is uniquely placed to reassert its role as arbiter within the information environment. We argue that professional standards must be central to the work of journalism, empowering them to ensure they determine what is news, who are the credible sources and rebalance their attention away from the loudest and most controversial voices to create a more pluralist news environment to inform and educate citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the problematic nature of disinformation, we argue journalists must protect citizens from being misinformed, from making unwise choices, so protecting the overall health of democracies. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, James Morrison, Jen Birks and Mike Berry.