Reality shows us that the era of opinion is here to stay. If you stop to think, you have never been so impacted by the many opinions that arrive not only through spaces in the press, but also through message groups, social networks, podcasts and many other channels. Personally, I consider it an evolution of our society, which feels encouraged to think and express its opinions. It wasn't always like this.
On the other hand, it intrigues me that at the same time that we experience free thinking and freedom of expression, we experience such difficulty in coexisting with those who think differently than us. The right to express an opinion comes along with the need to live with different points of view, without needing to diminish, insult, exclude or cancel each other.
“The right to express an opinion comes along with the need to coexist with different points of view, without needing to diminish, insult, exclude or cancel each other.”
Respecting those who think differently will be a necessary practice especially this year, as the clash of ideas, as well as narratives, tends to intensify during election periods. There will be disputes in 5,568 municipalities, with more than 150 million people eligible to vote. In addition to local themes, issues on the national agenda will certainly be included in the debate. In global terms, more than half of the world's population currently lives in countries that will have elections this year, the United States among them. It's potential for never-ending problems.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence, with its multiple advantages and pitfalls, will enter campaigns once and for all. The alert must be redoubled, as the ground for disinformation, fake news, attacks on the reputations of people, candidates or not, and companies is fertile.
The responsibility of professional journalism to report the facts, with truth, plurality and independence to support opinion formation in an autonomous manner, grows even more. It's a two-way street: journalism has its role, and so do we, citizens, seeking serious sources of information, checking what seems dubious, not sharing fake news and, above all, knowing that knowing different opinions is the best way to qualify ours.
Anik Suzuki, CEO of ANK Reputation and member of the Editorial Board of RBS
aniksuzuki@ankreputationfeed.com.br
- Article originally published in Zero Hora on April 6, 2024
