Hear me out

For a change, I'm not fishing for a topic in the river of my thoughts.

I was thinking about the idea of feeling heard today. In fact, I got thinking about it when I first interned as a journalist.

I spent most days in those two months running from pillar to post, attending press meetings, gathering 'newsbites' from the stakeholders for a report, and conversing with people from varied walks of life.

Other than being an incredible way to learn about the world, I used to be gripped by just one thought - who's listening here?

News generally means collecting multiple points of view and presenting them to the masses. Based on the business that funds the media house, reportage is usually biased toward the narrative of a particular stakeholder.

And this isn't helpful because news in a democracy is a way to create a feedback loop between citizens and those they assign power to.

So, after writing every copy and sending it to my editor, I wondered what happens to this?

Do the laborers protesting get their due? Does the police find more evidence for that case? Is this government spokesperson actually going to implement what he seems to be boasting about?

All of it felt like people talking at each other.

An ingenious distraction to worsen the communication gap.

And that distraction is much worse since social media. There is just constant talking at each other and numerous incomplete feedback loops.

But journalism is still viewed as speaking truth to power. I am unsure if merely speaking the truth is enough.

When everything being spoken is the truth, what is really the truth?

And does merely speaking truth to power rid us of the responsibility to do something?