“The people must know before they can act,” said Ida Wells, a pioneer of investigative journalism during the late 1800s in the United States. This month, as we scramble to grasp the reach and repercussions of the COVID19 pandemic, the Pulitzer Foundation honoured Ms. Wells’ life-long contributions to news media. Ms. Wells who believed that “there is no educator to compare with the press,” risked her life numerous times to deliver hard hitting evidence about the lynching of African American men. What would the vanguard of the civil rights movement in the US, who fought for her personal freedoms and that of millions of others think of the industry today?
Ms. Wells’ posthumous honour comes at an important time in our history. In this pandemic period, the media is an essential instrument of social justice that puts a magnifying glass to inequalities. In order to trigger mass movements, akin to Ms. Wells’ time, the news media needs eclectic reporting that keeps pace with the unfolding events and holds authorities to account.
