“Journalism is like a mirror,” says Veteran journalist Charles Groenhuijsen in a video

Veteran journalist and author Charles Groenhuijsen shares his views on journalism in a video by Brightvibes.

In the video, Charles Groenhuijsen said that journalism is like a mirror. When viewers look into this mirror they are supposed to see the world as it is. But most of the time they see the negative side of life. It is as if most journalists think that, “Good news is no news,” and what they bring before the viewers is mostly negative news that tends to make the viewers scared and angry.

Charles Groenhuijsen considers this as a mistake and he prefers to give a more long time perspective. He is optimistic in his views and says that the world has improved tremendously in the last 25-30 years. People are not aware of the decline in poverty, lower infant mortality rates, and higher life expectancy, because what they see is the negative side of life.

In his opinion journalism is like raising children. Children are raised in a way that brings out the positive qualities in them. If parents always emphasize their children’s mistakes, it would probably make them miserable, negative, and angry.  And in the same way, if the journalists are only showing the negative side of life, people would look at the world in a very negative way.

 

It is not that Groenhuijsen thinks of journalism as negative. He believes that it has huge consequences for society and for political choices. As a journalist, he prefers to amplify the good, without forgetting the bad. He acknowledges the fact that there are many issues, challenges, and crises in the world.  He firmly believes that if a journalist steers away from the negative and focuses on the positive and more constructive way of looking at things, journalism could make a better world. Though many journalists don’t consider it to be their basic task to make the world better, Groenhuijsen believes that journalists are here to make a better world.

In Groenhuijsen’s opinion how one sees the world is a personal choice.  A person can be pessimistic or optimistic in his views. He believes that optimism which gives more energy is a better choice that can make a better world, for us and for the generations to come.

This optimistic view is very much needed in the present scenario as the world is being gripped by Covid-19 pandemic. People are scared and feel helpless. A sense of uncertainty prevails everywhere.  As Charles Groenhuijsen said journalists can have a profound influence on people. Journalists should try to give more optimistic news that will make the people look forward to a happy and better future.

Charles Groenhuijsen is a veteran journalist of over 40 years. He is also a publicist, speaker, and presenter.