Today's media landscape includes trained journalists and self-styled influencers, edutainers, and the many supporters of one view or another who magnify ideas through their social media platforms and personal networks. In other words, the competition for "meaning-making" is steep.
In this information age, the news media must distinguish itself by not simply reporting events but helping concerned citizens transform information into knowledge that serves the common good, shaping public opinion, and framing political discourse that elevates the good of the Whole.Â
Its fundamental challenge arises when navigating between amplifying a spectrum of viewpoints and inadvertently legitimizing fringe elements. Balancing the fair-minded quest for a "diversity of thought" must also be an essential litmus test to determine whether an idea is worth sharing based on whether one intends to benefit the common good or further one's own personal or political agenda. If it is the latter, the media are not obligated to amplify such self-promotion, whether banal or dangerous.Â
In a world desperate for shared problem-solving and cooperation, traditional and social media companies must evaluate information integrity and fairness based on how well such information promotes a shared purpose and a collective determination to achieve a better world for all.Â
Amid increasing partisanship, social distrust, and a lack of faith in our institutions, the media must rediscover and reclaim its responsibility to inform, help shape, and magnify the public will to Good.Â
Refusing to promote and proliferate information and opinions that further entrench division, mass media can help us draw nearer to the essential truth of our shared destiny as one humanity and one planet. They can facilitate dialogue and understanding across ideological divides and elevate diverse voices while discerningly excluding those propagating hate or misinformation. Then, once again, they can become catalysts, helping us foster a more enlightened and inclusive public sphere.