How we're helping local reporters turn important stories into national news | Gangadhar Patil

譯者: 資雨 胡 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

我是記者。

我明白產出的報導幾乎乏人問津， 是多麼令人灰心的事。

我在家鄉，印度的貝爾高姆 擔任地方記者時，常有這樣的感受。

I'm a journalist.

And I know how frustrating it gets

我想，在全國性的報社工作 應該會好一點。

when most of your stories go unnoticed.

I felt it when I worked as a local reporter

受了專業訓練後，

in my hometown Belgaum, in India.

我在三間全國性報社工作過。

I thought maybe joining a national newspaper would help.

在這五年期間， 我為了報導題材到過各個地方。

So I went through professional training

2012 年初，

and worked with India's three national newspapers.

我從孟買前往一千英里外， 位於印度南部的一個沿海村落。

During my five-year stint, I used to travel for my stories.

我去那邊是為了做一個報導， 關於核電廠帶來的環境危機。

It was in early 2012

I traveled 1,000 miles from Mumbai to a coastal village in south India.

我和一位當地環保倡議者談話，他說，

I was there to do a story

「上百名村民集結抗議核電廠」這件事

on environmental risk of a nuclear power plant.

當地媒體比國家電視台 早六個月就注意到。

When I spoke to a local activist,

he said the story of hundreds of villagers protesting against a nuclear power plant

我到其他地區取材時也有類似經驗。

was reported by local media

six months before national TV channels picked it up.

這驗證了我之前的想法： 「地方記者往往比全國性媒體

早一步注意到並報導地方發生的事。」

I had similar experiences when I traveled for other stories.

但就像我之前一樣， 地方記者缺乏分享的平台。

It confirmed my belief that a local reporter knows a story

根據 2011 年的一份媒體調查，

much before it is picked up by national media.

只有 2％ 的印度主流媒體新聞 在報導偏鄉議題。

But like me, they did not have a platform to share them.

According to a 2011 media study,

即使在印度 13 億的總人口中，

only two percent of India's mainstream media coverage

有將近 70％ 的人都住在鄉村。

is about rural issues.

Even though almost 70 percent of India's population,

這對印度這種民主國家來說並不尋常，

能見度是確保公正的關鍵， 這對窮人尤其重要。

1.3 billion population, live in villages.

我深信，我們需要建立一個平台，

This is disturbing for a democratic country like India,

來向全國訴說這些重要的事，

where transparency is key to ensure justice to everyone, especially the poor.

所以我在 2014 年 12 月 辭去在《印度經濟時報》的工作。

I was convinced that there's a need to build a platform

之後半年，我成為自由工作者，

to bring out this important story at the national level.

並建置了一個資料庫， 收錄全印度兩萬名地方記者的資料。

So I quit my job with "Economic Times" in December 2014.

For the next six months, I freelanced

那段期間，

我遇到一些編輯 在尋找能貢獻新聞資料的人，

and also built a database of 20,000 local reporters across India.

當時新聞機構為了節省支出，

解雇了數百位全職記者。

During that time,

I saw editors who were looking for more and more contributors

我看見一個能加強曝光 這些重要報導的機會，

as news organizations cut down cost

只要我可以訓練這些地方記者，

by getting rid of hundreds of full-time reporters.

並讓他們與主流媒體接軌。

那正是我們在做的事情。

I saw an opportunity to highlight these important stories

我們的技術平台， 第一次，發現地方記者，

if I can train these local reporters

培養他們，

and connect them with the mainstream media.

並協助他們為全國及國際性的刊物撰文。

And that is exactly what we are doing.

Our tech platform, for the first time, discovers a local reporter,

一組資深編輯與這些地方記者密切合作，

grooms them,

產出他們的每一則報導，

and helps them write for national and international publications.

過程不止幫助地方記者學習報導技巧，

A team of experienced editors works closely with these local reporters

on each and every story filed by them.

也同時讓他們得到認可。

This process not only helps the local reporters learn reporting skills

2017 年 6 月，

其中一名地方記者 Saurabh Sharma

贏得由歐洲委員會頒發的國際獎項，

but also gives credibility to their stories.

他報導的是年輕女街友所面臨的困境。

In June 2017,

one of our local reporters, Saurabh Sharma,

我們也嘗試為這些地方記者導正市場，

won an international award from the European Commission

給他們高於市場三倍的工資。

for his story on the hardships faced by young girls living on the street.

更高的工資加上認可，讓他們有信心

We're also trying to correct market for these local reporters,

去更深入探究並接露腐敗的社會體制。

by paying them three times more than the existing rates.

我們近期報導了一則印度東北的新聞，

Better pay and recognition is giving them confidence

那裡的孩子必須用大鍋子渡河，

to dig deeper and expose corruption in the system and society.

每天都冒著生命危險，

We recently reported a story from Northeast India

因為那裡既沒有橋，也沒有船。

where children have to cross a river in a huge cooking pot,

那篇報導被主流媒體選上了，

並因此被當地的一位民意代表關注，

risking their life every day,

because there's no bridge, there's no boat.

他承諾會在那裡蓋一座橋。

在過去三年的經營之下，

The story was picked up by mainstream media

and it caught the attention of a local elected representative

我們報導了超過 2,500 個 像這樣的故事。

who promised to build a bridge.

為了讓報導有更廣泛的觸及和影響，

In the last three years of our operations,

我們與 16 家領先的媒體公司合作，

we have reported more than 2,500 such stories.

他們很樂意，

因為他們不用編輯報導或管理記者， 就能進而節省支出。

To publish them for a wider reach and impact,

we have partnered with 16 leading media houses,

現在我們有超過 1,200 位記者夥伴，

who are happy to take them,

as it brings their cost down, by not editing or managing reporters.

去撰寫像核電廠這種

Today, we have more than 1,200 reporters in our network,

被主流媒體忽視， 或從未報導過的地區新聞。

在接下來的五年，

covering stories like the nuclear power plant,

我們計畫在印度 5,500 個分區 各安排一位記者，

from places that are either ignored by mainstream media

or never covered.

In the next five years,

遍及整個國家，

we plan to have one reporter in each of the 5,500 subdistricts in India,

以確保沒有任何重要消息被忽略。

covering the entire nation,

to ensure that none of these important stories go unnoticed.

下次當你看到一篇偏鄉報導，

請不要忽視了。

一定要閱讀並分享， 這可能會是重大報導。

Next time you see a story from the countryside,

這樣一來，我們就能確保

沒有任何重要消息被忽略了。

please do not ignore it.

Do read and share them, they might be breaking stories.

謝謝。

（掌聲）

This way, we can ensure

none of the important stories go unnoticed.

Thank you.

(Applause)