Miriam Wells

About

Journalism is broken. Or rather it works perfectly in terms of what much of it has really been there to do for a long time now — uphold and serve harmful systems of power. Now there are so many alternatives ways to get information and stories, it's no wonder people are turning away in their droves. In the wise words of Catarina Carvalho from Mensagem Lisboa, why should people care about the news when the news doesn't care about them? We have to go back to journalism's core purpose — to serve ALL citizens with information they can use to act and with stories that represent, include, connect and inspire — if the industry is to survive. We have to build meaningful relationships with, lawyers, scientists, designers, artists, activists, policy makers; people from all disciplines who are also thinking in systems, who want to shift power, and whose work is centred in care, compassion and empathy. It can't achieve anything on its own, but I still believe that with creativity, collaboration, communities and care at its heart, journalism done very differently can help build a better world. I speak regularly to newsrooms around the world about impact strategy, having spent four years as the world's first Impact Editor at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, where I developed a newsroom culture and strategy embedding impact thinking into every stage of the editorial process. I now hold the same role at The Examination, a global health newsroom whose investigative journalism aims to hold corporations accountable for preventable death and disease, equip the communities in harm's way, and ultimately help save lives.