Sir, – One could be forgiven, in these times of “phone-hacking” and “churnalism”, for believing that journalism was becoming increasingly profit-obsessed, fixated on celebrity indiscretions and irrelevant. One could be forgiven for forgetting the real and important purposes that journalism serves in society – exposing injustice, illuminating shady practice, providing us with the information we need, as citizens, to hold our elected representatives to account, to participate effectively in society.
The feature “Risk is gender blind”, in The Irish Times Magazine (February 11th) served as a startling counterpoint to the practices emerging daily from the Leveson Inquiry. These women risk their lives to do their jobs – how many of us, in any profession, can say that? The women featured in the article risk their lives to do their jobs, for reasons that transcend money, or a lust for adventure – they are driven to fulfil the requirements of real and true journalism.
Journalist Marie Colvin was mentioned in that feature, and her death alongside the photographer Remi Ochlik (Breaking News, February 22nd), tragically proves the thesis presented in the title of the feature, and serves as a reminder that, ailing as it may be, journalism is not dead, and continues to be vital. – Yours, etc,