In this episode of “DisinfoHacks Podcast”, we have an insightful conversation with Aphrodite Salas, an Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism at Concordia University. Our discussion revolves around the theory of extractive journalism, with an emphasis on building trust and being a storyteller, focusing on respecting the communities and the people whose stories are being shared, as well as the impact of AI in journalism. In the discussion the importance of care and intent and the need for ethical and respectful storytelling is being stressed. In today's digital age, people often trust peer narratives over traditional media outlets. Light is being shed on the evolving landscape of journalism and the imperative to reshape the narrative towards more compassionate, ethical, and community-centered storytelling.
Participants:
Aphrodite Salas, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism at Concordia University
Moderator: Aurra Kawanzaruwa, Manager of DCN AFRICA
Outstanding quotes:
Aphrodite:
“I think it’s more in the way that we do our jobs and that that’s kind of where my area of focus is. It’s in the execution of the journalism, the methodology, how you’re going about doing the interviews, sharing the stories, framing the stories and always in consultation with the community.”
“Stories fall to the cracks because we receive a huge amount of them and we don’t want stories to fall in the cracks. So, maybe AI could help with that.”
“You know it’s really important to consider relationships in journalism. If you think about and you just put yourself in a position of someone suffering some sort of trauma or someone you know sharing the story with you, how would it feel to have a total stranger come up to you and ask how you’re feeling on what might be the worst day of your life?”
“Care and intent is very important in the process of journalism.”
Aurra:
“More so than before, so much of the information we consume about what’s happening in the world and what is not is coming from informal structures. It’s not coming from traditional journalists or traditional media. We live in an age where we will listen to what appears more than what’s on the news. In the southern part of Africa we call it ubuntu, the ability to put yourself basically in somebody else’s shoes and understand that we all are a community, so whatever action I take has a direct impact on those around me and a long lasting impact.”
DisinfoHacks Project is an innovative training program that brings together partners expertise, engaging an ecosystem of communication and media stakeholders, startup innovators and influencers in identifying, assessing, and combating disinformation." Organized by DCN Global, #ADandPRLAB, YET, funded by U.S. Department of State and U.S. Mission in Greece, supported by Found.ation and SocialInnov.