Journalist must stay true to facts, Harvard lecturer Prof Rhodes urges

Speaking virtually at the opening of the State of Journalism, Media, and Communication Conference 2026 (SJMCC 2026) on Wednesday, July 15, Prof Rhodes traced the historic role newspapers played in Africa's independence struggle before challenging journalists to preserve truth in an era of democratic backsliding.

According to Prof Rhodes, while newspapers played a vital role in securing independence, they also demonstrated how journalism could be shaped by political interests after liberation.

Senior lecturer in social sciences at Boston University and lecturer in the Department of Government at Harvard University, Professor Christopher Rhodes, has urged journalists to uphold both facts and truth, arguing that the profession's commitment to democratic accountability depends on more than simply reporting verified information.