Is Journalism Dead? Let's make it real again.

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In 1963, Jewish German-born philosopher, writer, and journalist, Hannah Arendt, covered the trial of German Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann for the" New Yorker" magazine. Her stunning report sparked fury and heated debates, as many accused Arendt of sympathizing with Nazis, betraying her Jewish heritage. Neither happened. More than 60-years later, her report is seen as a journalistic triumph. Unlike her contemporary fellow reporters, Arendt immersed in what was going on at that trial, with presencing listening.  She was entire “now” and left all her preconceived ideas outside the trial room. Arendt looked at Adolf Eichmann as he was – not the mastermind sole creator of horrors in Germany, but as an essential part of the Nazi gear, by being the John Doe who found power by following orders. What Hannah Arendt did as a journalist, back in the ’60s, was to look at the whole picture, not as someone outside the system, but as being part of it.  Liking it or not, we are all part of the system and responsible for its outcomes. In "Eichmann in Jerusalem: The Roots of Evil", Arendt engaged in Systems Thinking, although I doubt she was acquainted with the concept, originated in 1956, at the Sloan School of Management, at M.I.T., with Professor Jay W. Forrester.

I am not posting this because I want to discuss Arendt’s coverage back in the ’60s. I know, until now, there are people enraged with her account. So, please, don’t come back discussing "Eichmann in Jerusalem". Just go on reading, and if you agree, sign up.

As a journalist, I wish to have more Systems Thinking in our daily coverage: more deep listening and empathy, and less judgment. Unfortunately, what I see, listen, and read are steadfast positions, unopen to other’s opinions and approaches, with preconceived visions of the world, making almost all the media outlets partisans’ public relations. But, as journalists, we should try to see things as they are, with no filters. Try to understand which forces moved people to do what they do.

How can we do this in our daily stories? How can we be more present, more empathetic, and more connected to bring change to the way we use the information?

I invite you, fellow journalists, to join the free U-lab: Leading from the Emerging Future, a 14-week course, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Together, we may learn the tools and ways to make these changes happen.  

https://www.edx.org/course/ulab-leading-from-the-emerging-future?

#journalism #journalismmatters #ulab #presencinginstitute