BLOG 2 – CREATIVE PRACTICE REFLECTION
BY RADHIKA DATTA
As I delve deeper into the Better Lives’ unit and learn more about the role of journalism in the industry, I have become more aware of a journalist’s prerogative in expressing their views.
The Better Lives Themes coupled with the pandemic we find ourselves in the midst of has made me reflect on a journalist’s role in a post-truth era and their duty to be authentic regarding inclusivity, cultural diversity and sustainability.
I found that our tutor, Liz Miller, raised an interesting point that good journalism usually comes from behind a payroll. Her implication that fake news has no branding and therefore gains traction quicker than verified journalism made me think of the lecture by Julia Crew on Power. As journalists, we have the power to influence people’s minds as people generally believe what they read to be true. It is, therefore, our social responsibility to be as neutrally authentic as possible and provide verified information.
Journalism has taught me that the post-truth era must involve a diverse array of voices to generate greater awareness. Articles must cater to all sections of society and not only be relatable to the higher class due to their ability to afford fashion. It is a journalist’s objective to increase her readership and fashion must be made inclusive and accessible to all.
Another important dilemma addressed during the lecture was the perception of the role of a fashion journalist. We assume it is to talk about what is currently ‘hot’ in the industry – fashion weeks and trends. This was really interesting to note as I too am guilty for not being able to recognize fashion journalism as a crucial medium to spread awareness regarding topics such as sustainability, detrimental fast fashion and environmental degradation.
My ideal for a post-truth world would be journalism being used to speak one’s mind regarding relevant issues harming the growth of our society. Although it would be practical to write to audiences that would fund the payroll, I aspire to use the prerogative of communication judiciously. As a fashion journalist, I have the power to influence as well as boycott and a prominent example is designers’ lack of care for the fine line that runs between careful representation and cultural appropriation. Matters like this along with sustainable production, equal pay, and mistreatment of labour must be brought to light.
As an aspiring editorial stylist, I believe the responsibilities of a journalist in a post-truth era may be applied to my line of practice as well.
For instance, the objective of an editorial stylist is to produce aesthetically pleasing images so as to create a market for the fashion used in creating such images. I aim to take more consideration of the ethicality behind the production of my resources and whether using them in styling editorials is promoting ecological sustainability. This may help to promote the purchase of environmentally conscious collections and the decline of fast fashion. The idea behind a fashion spread is to tell a story, so I would like to use styling to create fashion spreads that generate awareness regarding important issues such as the detrimental effects of fast fashion and the consequential waste of over-production. I believe it is in a stylist’s social responsibility to employ culturally diverse models as this can help create a trend for inclusivity.