Over the past two years the outcry about fake news has diverted attention from the deficits of mainstream media and from the deterioration of the practices and processes of those who produce what we consider to be legitimate news. The development of strategies to deal with the spread of disinformation including by combating its purveyors and increasing media literacy are necessary but it is also time to re-examine the overall state of mainstream journalism today. Pursuing greater editorial independence, high professional standards and journalistic quality can lead to a more meaningful journalism and restore the public’s trust in the media as well as help to expose and marginalize disinformation.
Nicholas Karides was born in London. He went to school in Cyprus and studied at Penn State University in the United States and Middlesex Polytechnic and the London School of Journalism in Britain.
After a brief spell as a journalist he served as Head of the Press Section and spokesman of the Delegation of the European Commission in Nicosia. He resigned from the Commission when Cyprus joined the European Union and set up Ampersand Public Affairs.
He was among the founders and contributing editors of the award-winning news outlet Offsite and is the author of Knowing One’s Place, a collection of essays on journalism, diplomacy and football.