Anna Brees - SHAME When Journalists Stopped Listening

The Eddy Network Podcast Episode 4

The pandemic showed us that as a global society, we are in transition. Where that transition is going is not clear. Everyone is looking to grasp some kind of clarity about the future. Traditionally, we have looked to journalists to provide insight and perspective.

I’ve had some engagement with the field of journalism. I used to write a twice-monthly column on business leadership for my local paper. At that same paper, I twice spoke about the importance of the local newspaper being a hub for the community. The corporate ownership of the paper made it difficult.

I have watched over the years as journalism changed. It gradually ceased to stand apart as a more-or-less neutral voice in society. Instead, it chose sides and began to advocate for political and social positions. Two results followed.

One is a growing tribalistic culture marked by the quest to take down powerful people who they view as their opponents. The other is the growing indifference of the public toward mainstream news media, in favor of more independent voices.

In this context, a few years ago, I discovered Anna Brees. She is a former BBC/ITV journalist who had taken up the cause of training citizen journalists. Recently, she published a book of personal reflections of how journalists in the United Kingdom reported and commented on the lockdowns, school closures, and social orders that were handed down during the COVID pandemic.

In my interview with Anna, she tells her story as more than a journalist, but as a mother. My experience is that moms have something to say to us that is worth taking to time hear and reflect on.

+Anna Brees - Brees Media

https://breesmedia.co.uk

Author of SHAME: When Journalists Stopped Listening https://amzn.eu/d/inHSOaZ

https://www.youtube.com/c/AnnaBrees/videos

https://twitter.com/breesanna

https://www.facebook.com/annabreesmedia