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"This notion of
‘impartial’ journalism is a Western construct. There is no such
thing as impartial reporting."
Somerset Independents puts Somerset residents first. However, we sometimes venture "over the border" into Bristol because Somerset and Bristol influence each other. And sometimes these two parts of the South West compete for public resources, such as with Avon and Somerset Police.
In another part of our series on local campaigners and journalists, campaigner Andrew Pope interviewed Joanna Booth, a Bristol-based freelance journalist, book editor and researcher.
Andrew asked her:
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| Andrew Pope |
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| Joanna Booth |
Joanna replied:
"I don’t think there is a dividing line. Journalists provide certain skills in making information known. This notion of ‘impartial’ journalism is a Western construct. There is no such thing as impartial reporting. Choices are made about what to include or omit all the time. The professionalisation of journalism is a far cry from the profession of journalism where the radical press in England tried to inform people of what actually would make their lives better."
This is different to the view - often promoted by journalists or editors themselves - that journalists should not be campaigners and campaigners should not be journalists. Joanna also says:
"I don’t consider myself to be a campaigner. I am a resident who is active in how they are represented by those I pay through my taxes and other payments...As long as I pay taxes and there are people in power who are supposed to represent me, I intend to do my best to scrutinise them...
I aim to work towards scrutiny, transparency, and accountability."
But there are costs and drawbacks to working in the public interest. Joanna says:
"Whenever you speak in opposition to those in power, you have the added burden of having to explain everything. The dominant narrative is constructed in such a way that it never seems to need explanation."
The problems that Joanna has found are similar to what Somerset Independents has experienced when challenging authority and holding elected representatives to account, such as:
"Any campaigner who goes against that has to prove themselves and armed with information to back up what they say. Always have the receipts. You will constantly be asked for them and you will be doubted. Expect those in power to offer no proof or evidence in return."
And the costs to a journalist who challenges authority can be severe and personal:
"I’ve recently written about being smeared – I get called a racist or a harasser, a conspiracy theorist (mentally ill), a waster of public money and time, and obsessed."
But it seems that despite this, Joanna is not put off. She says:
"As long as I am punching up and with a view of the public interest, I will keep speaking the truth."
Joanna Booth writes at Substack, tweets at @StillAwake and produces a newsletter at Substack. She has written widely on the local issues in Bristol, including on:
- "Four-jobs mayor declares another pecuniary interest"
- "Karma police, private cops, and the city centre" and
- "Journalists v Managers and Owners"
Andrew Pope is being trained in journalism by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and tweets at @APoliticalPope. He is a former councillor and co-founded Somerset Independents in 2020, having also co-founded Southampton Independents in 2015.
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