Relentlessly tell fact-based stories emancipates the truth

Dr Aküm Longchari

To confront misinformation the challenge for the media is build a bridge that narrows the gap between Feelings and Facts 

First Words 

Good afternoon! Respected Madame Chairperson, I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land upon which we have gathered here today. I offer my respect to the ancestors and elders – past, present, and emerging. 

I acknowledge and offer my deep respect to the Kohima Press Club and its leaders – past, present, and emerging – for demonstrating itself to be a vital ‘voice’ in empowering and creating spaces that nurture the professional development and wellbeing of journalists. I also extend warm greetings to each one of you and am grateful to KPC for this opportunity to be here among you.

Congratulations Reyivolü Rhakho on receiving the 2025 KPC “Impact Journalism Award. I also acknowledge the recipients of the KPC-NBOCWWB Media Fellowship. Thank you all for your exemplary work. Standing here, I recognise the wealth of wisdom, knowledge, and experience present in this room and acknowledge the significance of having this conversation about Press Credibility in this ever-expanding digital world. 

The Nagaland media industry, as we know, is home grown and one that has been built from the ground-up by our elders and consolidated by successive generations. And today it is being strengthened by men and women like yourselves who are committed to upholding with integrity the ethics and values of quality news through the lens of fact-based truth, accuracy, transparency, accountability, and fairness. Above all, it is the commitment to being independent and free so that the media can perform with credibility and without fear, without conflicts of interest and without any bias or affiliations.

With that in mind, today is a fitting reminder to exercise media ethics and values alive to everyday realities.    

I confess, I am not a journalist and do not claim to be one. So, you as professional media practitioners are the experts in this field. My experience with media is a little different. For the last twenty years I have worked closely with editorial teams, field reporters and correspondents, graphic designers, administrators, managers, printing press operators, advertising and marketing representatives, paper distributors and support staff trying to put into practice an idea called The Morung Express. Having this background has helped me to form some perspective and an understanding as an outsider, as well as an insider. 

So, in the spirit of critical co-learning, I will engage with this year’s theme Safeguarding Press Credibility Amidst Rising Misinformation by sharing two dilemmas and concluding with a vox populi – the voice of the people.

While the theme is vast, the questions of Credibility and Information are the essence of why media exists. Misinformation is as old as human history, but its intensity, scope, frequency, and degree have rapidly increased even as media platforms have expanded beyond traditional forms. And yet, the intent and means of disseminating information and misinformation are creating a highly polarised media ecosystem. These conditions make it all the more important for the media to differentiate facts and non-facts.

The Dilemma of Truth

Manish Maheshwari, former head of Twitter India, in his essay on India’s Deepfake Dilemma published in Fair Observer makes an insightful observation. He says, “If the 20th century was about who controlled oil, the 21st will be about who controls truth,” and adds that, “India, the world’s largest democracy, has just entered this race.” Manish points out how India’s digital policy patterns an evolution from data localisation to AI regulation and eventually the assertion of digital sovereignty. The debate which, he says, started on where data should reside … has become a question of who decides what is real. 

With prudence, the Naga media needs to engage with this question of who decides what is real. Because by implication it raises the practice of “truth sovereignty” which becomes a matter of soft power and real politik.  

For a moment, let us reflect on what it means to say, “the 21st century will be about who controls truth.” In effect, truth is reduced to a commodity to be owned, monopolised and controlled. This has implications on whether this truth – is real or unreal and to what degree – which, in turn, directly impact trust and credibility. By owning and weaponising truth, it has become militarised by real politik and reduced to a channel of confrontation and polarisation. What then becomes of the truth which is based on facts and evidence with the capacity to connect, free, emancipate and heal?

The discourse on truth reminds me of the Ugandan scholar Mahmood Mamdani, who said there are two types of truth: “truth that brings unresolved tensions to light; and truth that obscures, hides, veils, masks the unpleasant facet of reality.” The truth about this dilemma is that the media also is faced with the two kinds of truth that Mamdani talks about. The media need to differentiate the truth that brings the unspoken and unresolved tensions to light, from the truth which obscures the unpleasant reality. 

The dilemma of truth in the Naga context is even more complex. The interplay of history, geography, and politics often veils the truth or gives rise to one based on a cognitive bias that breeds distrust. In such situations, the fact-based truth becomes the first casualty and subjective feelings are perceived as the truth. As a result, it is peoples’ Feelings that matter more than Truth. The complex tensions between Feelings and Facts impact how the media operates.

The challenge is: How can the media build a bridge that narrows the gap between Feelings and Facts. The journalist George Orwell was insightful and visionary to point out that, ‘telling the truth is a revolutionary act.’ Perhaps, this is our punch line for the day!

The Dilemma of the Power of Context

There is a saying that a good storyteller understands the power of context in order to create meaning and relevance. In a similar way, journalism is about harnessing this power in order to build credible relationships and cultivate trust with its readers and viewers.    

Today, even as the Naga political question is in a state of flux, the situation offers a much-needed historical opportunity for the people to find ways to co-learn, think together and identify common solutions towards healing and reconciliation. However, such processes are never certain or straightforward, nor should they be. This is because the process itself is dynamic and organic as it deeply explores the root causes and common goals in inclusive and participatory ways for sustainable outcomes. 

Simultaneously, the market forces of globalisation and the 21st century notion of individualism have entered Naga life and culture. Governance is now more entrenched in patrimonial rule. During this time, entrepreneurship is evolving, the arts and the music are flourishing, mobility has increased, and local capacity building is being fostered. Nagaland is projected and curated as a unique tourist destination by a State-led tourism policy where people and culture are reduced to a living museum. And so, by appearance, Nagaland is a modern state only by its outward form.

Amidst this increasing mix of turbulence, contradictions and transformation, new narratives emerge to challenge the old. The Naga identity is directly impacted by many factors including increasing assimilation, greed and selfishness, consumerism and materialism, systemic corruption, State-centred development and the widening economic divide. All this is changing demography, inducing social fragmentation, identity-based polarisations, and instigating cultural shifts where the people are no longer makers of their own culture.  

Today, it is easier to reinforce uncertainties and widen differences rather than reconnect and rebuild relationships that strengthen peaceful coexistence. The media is not free from these realities. These changing power dynamics and transitional politics require the media and journalists, in particular, to be acutely aware of who is defining the narratives and for what purposes. This is crucial because currently Nagas are not generating new stories that stimulate new imaginations. As a result, the conforming and complacent status quo is further entrenched as the crisis is being played out through the interplay of our history, politics and geography. This is just the tip of the iceberg.  

    
So, the Naga media need to objectively reflect on whether it has the moral courage to speak out truth to power by:

i.    Rising above individual established positions and going beyond describing a situation merely in terms of position and official statements.

ii.    Cultivating an understanding of in-depth news led by facts by uncovering the truth behind the headlines. 

iii.    Investigating and breaking stories that examine root causes by questioning power structures and practices.

iv.    Critiquing whether the policies, transitions and changes represent peoples’ interests. 

Friends, all too often the context is taken for granted and the media engages in a monologue. For the media to uphold the fourth pillar of democracy it needs to move from the monologue to a dialogue and truthfully engage with this power of context. This means going beyond its echo chambers. By extension, the Naga media’s credibility and the people’s trust is based on upholding the ethical values and principles enshrined in the free press.

In lieu of a conclusion: Elevate Praxis

As you would know, journalism – media generally – is a praxis, one that is incrementally evolving with the interplay of action and reflection. Today, on Press Day, let us elevate praxis by celebrating that journalism is not static, it is dynamic and needs to evolve with the shifting times. 

In conclusion, I am sharing a Vox Populi, elicited from members of the public, on how the media can contribute to empower and enable a more informed, proactive and vibrant citizen:

1.    Media has a transformative role in making citizens well informed through accurate, contextual and people-centered reportage. This can be done through dialogue while also highlighting the roles and responsibilities of different organisations and institutions so that they can be held accountable.

2.    When relevant to local situations, contextualise and bring home implications of global events and policies.

3.    Encourage proactive rather than reactive engagement on issues by including the knowledge, data, opinions and reflections of experts that may help people to think outside the box.

4.    The narrative around Naga issues is often dominated by the voices of a few leaders and intellectuals. This can marginalize the perspectives of women, youth, grassroots communities and other minority groups. The media needs to consciously create inclusive participatory platforms by dedicating more time and putting effort to travel, built more networks, learning and understanding the perspectives across society. When people see their realities reflected in the media, they feel part of the larger conversation. This may help break down the narrative of the powerful, enable a better understanding of community well-being, and empower citizens from all backgrounds.

5.    Media can also adopt a ‘solutions journalism’ approach. This means reporting on positive and constructive stories of hope within Naga society. Elicit opinions on issues that the public want the media to cover.

6.    Accurate and detailed stories can foster critical thinking, enable civic engagement, mobilize communities for action, and translate online engagement into real-world change and policy outcomes.

7.    Through investigative journalism and consistent reporting on public affairs, media can be a watchdog, exposing corruption, scrutinising government policies, and holding public officials accountable. However, the media need to take immense care and effort to report accurate information based on facts and figures. This empowers citizens to hold their leaders and representatives to account and participate in democratic processes.

8.    Prioritise issue-based reportage and in-depth stories related to the well-being of the citizens instead of focusing on more sensational news. This helps in building public trust and credibility.

Vox Populi on how journalists can improve quality news reporting:

a.    Responsible reporting – fact-checking, being conscious of the implications and consequences of sensationalising issues.

b.    Objectivity – being mindful and rising above personal, tribal and regional affiliations while reporting. Train and partner with local writers, empower them to write. Journalists co-author with public individuals (e.g. teachers, church workers, community leaders)

c.    While reporting on events, go past the content issued in press releases and speeches. Provide overview and highlight key points that emerge. Also emphasise field engagement, diversify sources and sharpen stories grounded on facts. Promote research-based reporting. It’s not about what people want to hear, but how reportage increases people’s understanding. Also … data literacy and the methods of collection, defining and maintaining ethical standards will produce journalism that is trustworthy, impactful and one that will . . . respond to the needs of the community.

d.    Among the five fundamentals of journalism (When, What, Where, Why, and How), focus on the WHY since it is the heart of a good story. A story that explains WHY it happened provides context and meaning and is the primary tool for accountability. By providing credible, evidence-based explanations, journalists demonstrate a commitment to truth, which, in turn, builds public trust. The WHY is simply more useful and helps people understand the events and how it affects them as it provides the context to move beyond WHAT happened to explain WHY it matters. 

e.    In Nagaland, news reporters from digital media have the tendency of giving a conclusion in their report – which often is judgemental, moralistic or biased. The news report and the credibility of the journalist can improve the quality and relevance of the news by doing away with such habit. They should report the facts and stop interpreting it for the public.

Finally, the 21st century should not be about who controls truth and decides what is real. Hence, the media in Nagaland needs reimagining and redefining itself in these shifting times to become a credible and reliable entity with a responsibility to facilitate and even nurture critical thinking and consciousness through quality news. To enable this, the Naga media needs to relentlessly tell fact-based stories as a way of emancipating the truth in the common interest and dignity of a shared humanity.

Reflection shared on National Press Day, November 16, 2025 organised by Kohima Press Club in Hotel Japfü, Kohima.