The people are revolting

Articles like this one make me excited about British journalism and confident for its future.

But it got me thinking (how Carrie Bradshaw have I become?)…

This week’s G20 summit and the accompanying demonstrations will pose an enormous challenge for journalists.

In the past, the prevailing prosperity pulled the rug from under would-be world-savers before they even waved their placards. When they were afforded column inches at all, journalists would at best patronise them, and at worse savage them.

But this year it’s different. For the first time idealism doesn’t seem so naive. Firstly because more and more people are struggling and in agreement with the principle that certain things need to change.

And second because the Obama election, showed the world that bitter, cynical resignation was no longer an acceptable position to cling to.

The British press on the whole jumped on the Obama bandwagon and rode it all the way to the White House, safe in the knowledge perhaps that though a fun diversion, a messianic politician wouldn’t last five minutes this side of the pond.

But this week ideas about hope and change are going to be articulated right here in our back garden.

How the media choose to cover it will be interesting to see. I said in my last post the press need to be careful against whipping up public frenzy. But by the same token derisory dismissal or (even worse) patronising head patting of the protesters does the public a disservice. We can’t have it all on our terms.

It’s easy to sit in front of a computer and tap out excoriating leader pieces calling for change, but it’s a damn sight more difficult to get out on the  streets and do it for real.

The press has been goading politicians for months about letting down the country. If they now abandon those in the streets at the first hint of trouble, or passion, then they too should hang their heads in shame.

PS Cripes, this is all rather heavy. On a lighter note I heard the Babybird song You’re Gorgeous today which made me smile.