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Press Panel: The Future of Media in a Post-Truth Age | Oxford Union
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Rupsha Chatterjee
5:55
A very warm welcome to all those who are joining us today at the Press Panel discussion on 'The Future of Media in a Post-Truth Age'. The speakers of the session are Jeremy O'Grady, Editor-in-Chief of The Week; Robert Guest, Foreign Editor of The Economist; and Jim White, Telegraph columnist, writer and broadcaster. This discussion is being held by the Oxford Union Society, the prestigeous Oxford University debating society that holds an international reputation for hosting the best guests and speakers from across the world.
6:02
The discussion begins with Robert Guest explaining how fake news has always existed in society.
"We live in an era of fake news, but it was common to publish scurrilous stories to interest people from the 16th century," says Guest.
He says that it was common for newsletters to print nonsensical news, because those were the ones that sold the best.
6:09
Robert Guest narrates an anecdote about a story The New York Sun carried in 1835 on a man who could see the surface of the moon with his telescope. He claimed to see strange beings on the moon.
"The New York Sun gained massive popularity for the sensational story. They were found out years later and the New York Sun lost some credibility.
The editor had already reaped the profits of the story by then", laments Robert Guest.
6:12
6:15
"There was a speck of truth in the story. The man with the telescope did in fact exist", says Guest. However he lived in South Africa and could not be contacted.
The newspaper ran a fabricated story to draw in attention.
6:17
Robert Guest believes we have gone back in time. A teenager sitting in Bulgaria can put out a story on social media for public attention without a thought of accountability or integrity.
6:19
Guest believes that this line of events brings us to  current times when we do not know if a story may be trusted. This also reflects on our discussions of politics, which he says he will go on to discuss
6:21
Robert Guest says that gathering real news costs money, as opposed to fake news.
"Fake news may get you clicks and some ad revenue, but gathering real news requires people to physical travel to and live in places."
Guest refers to himself as an example as he says that he owns 25 bureaus.
"If you want real, credible news - some has to pay for it," says Robert Guest.
Do you think The demolition of fake news cycles can impact the media ecosystem in a healthy way?
yes (0% | 0 votes)
 
no (0% | 0 votes)
 
maybe. It is hard to say. (0% | 0 votes)
 
Total Votes: 0
6:24
Coming to the question of who pays for real news, Guest says it could be the reader or the advertiser. It could also come from public money.
6:26
Guest gives the example of the BBC which is funded by the people of Britain.
However, he points out that this model may struggle to survive in other countries where the state sponsors the media.They risk becoming a mouthpiece for the government.
6:27
6:28
Funding may also come from a rich philanthropist like Jeff Bezos who bought Washington Post and made it a better news platform by investing money in it, says Guest.
6:29
In conclusion, Robert Guest says, "if you want to find out what's really happening in the world. It costs and someone has to pay."
6:30
Jeremy O'Grady, Editor-in-Chief of The Week, joins the conversation.
He introduces his topic of discussion to be identifying fake news and also the people's loss of faith in news.
6:36
O'Grady refers to the Reuters survey on fake news. "A very high percentage of respondents were of the opinion that fake news came from mainstream media, and not regular people", he states.
6:40
"It's the sense that we can't any longer trust the objectivity of what we're reading," Jeremy says.
O'Grady adds doubtfully that whether the problem is with the producers or consumers of the news is a matter of discussion.
6:44
He refers to Robert Guest as he states that he does not think gathering real news is only an economic problem. It is also about identifying to what extant we exist in an Age of Opinion, or Post-Truth Age.
Jeremy adds, "It is about questioning if there is such an age at all, or if we are just exaggerating.
If there is one, we must ask what we can do about it".
6:46
Do you think consumption pattern of the general public affects the selection of news cycles run in media stations?
Yes very. (0% | 0 votes)
 
No not likely (0% | 0 votes)
 
Depends on the situation. (0% | 0 votes)
 
Total Votes: 0
6:47
Telegraph columnist, writer and broadcaster Jim White introduces himself.
He speaks of his time as a journalist and the beginning of The Independent newspaper.
6:49
White tells an anecdote of how his editor at The Independent would count people reading newspapers on the train. He observes that now most people are on their phones while commuting.
6:51
Jim White says that the change in news consumption has been revolutionary. He adds that The Independent has gone completely digital and there are no physical newspapers at all.
6:52
"Everyone of us has an opportunity to be a journalist," says Jim White as he points at his phone.
White says that it is a tremendous advancement, but also addresses the dangers associated with it.
6:55
"We have greater means in our pockets than we had collectively back then. I think its a tremendous opportunity and a way to democratize media and journalism," he says.
In conclusion, Jim White encourages university students to venture out and create a new world with this technology.
6:58
The host thanks White and goes on to present a question.

The host asks why people now find it harder to distinguish between a statistic that is true versus those that are not.
7:01
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