Critical Realism, Truth and the Journalistic Mediation of Social Justice Issues

This illustrative exposition argues for the relevance of critical realism in unpacking journalistically mediated social injustices. Its central thesis is that the contemporary context characterised by post truth sensibilities, the fake news phenomenon and a multiplicity of injustices, imposes the need for a philosophical anchor that resolves both the schizophrenic view of reality in extant journalism scholarship and transcends journalism’s own parochial frames in reporting multi-layered and over-determined social phenomena and experiences. The novelty of the chapter derives from its demonstration of how critical realism can inform nuanced journalism practice and be applied to an analysis of its practice and discourses in contexts where asymmetrical structural factors shape social experience. This is done using two purposively sampled case studies that speak to mediated discourses at both the global and national levels. Ultimately, the paper discusses the normative value of a critical realist theorisation of journalism and justice issues in contemporary societies.