Bloomberg, Reuters & the BBC unite to highlight importance of trusted news outlets
Some of the biggest names in global media have set aside their competitive rivalries to produce a short video communicating the essential role of trusted media brands in a chaotic world.
Bloomberg, Reuters, the BBC, Nat Geo and The Wall Street Journal display a united front against partisan influencers, prejudiced bloggers and skewed political messaging in a new global campaign from the World Media Group (WMG), the member body dedicated to upholding best practice in journalism.
Reminding audiences that knowledge is power, ‘Imagine a World Without Trusted Media’, produced by Bloomberg Studios and Foxred Media, provides a taster of what life would be like without the bedrock of truth underpinning journalism, with considered voices, facts and statistics giving way to a cacophony of noise.
Reminding audiences that truth and the ability to question are the only way to hold power to account, the provocative piece contrasts the chaos of misinformation, propaganda and lies of unaccountable online sources with the skilled interviewers, reporters and editors who present the world as it is.
Chief executive Belinda Barker said: “When the world turned upside down, and it became a matter of life and death, people turned to World Media Group brands for essential information.
“This was reflected in rocketing readers, users and viewers among our membership – including a 50% increase in unique monthly users across our quality news sites, to surpass a staggering 1.5 billion users at the height of the pandemic. In an age when Reporters Without Borders continues to track declines in press freedom around the world, support for the values of impartial, trusted world media brands with offices of trained journalists around the world has never been more important.”
Drawing on their role as custodians of the truth during the coronavirus pandemic, the campaign highlights the importance of promoting best practice health and hygiene standards as well as vaccinations in the face of concerted misinformation campaigns.