Peter Bale: Journalists need to fight to retain relevance

A New Zealand journalist at the heart of the Panama Papers project has told journalism educators that free speech is something that needs to be defended.

Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Public Integrity, Peter Bale, addressed an audience of 170 journalism educators at the World Journalism Education Congress dinner held at AUT on Wednesday evening.

The Center for Public Integrity, a global non-profit investigative journalism organisation, is Mr Bale’s current focus after a renowned career in journalism, including the role of Vice President and General Manager of Digital Operations at CNN International.

At the beginning of his speech, Mr Bale made it clear that he intended to deliver “an overwhelmingly positive message” despite the many challenges journalism currently faces.

“I think journalism has a vital part to play in civil society. As vital as the industry, politicians and the many multiple state groups that add up to create civilised society,” he said.

Among Mr Bale’s numerous professional milestones is his key role in the coordination of the Panama Papers, which he referred to as the largest collaborative journalism project in history.

Mr Bale made special mention of the ever-strengthening aspects of journalism, such as fact-checking, podcasting and data journalism, which continue to grow in the digital age.

He also made his stance on free speech clear.

“I argue the real threat to journalism is the threat of regulation, the encroachment of laws and habits that restrict free speech,” said Mr Bale.

“To defend that free speech and the right to use it as a force for good in civil society we need to promote journalism as a force for good and as essential to civil society as the judiciary, politicians and police,” he said.

Mr Bale left the audience with a challenge to continue to fight for the need and relevance of journalism in civil society.

“No one owes us [journalists] a living and we have to fight to retain our relevance,” he said.