Journalism and Human Rights

from sociological assumptions to ethical discussion

Abstract

In this article, we address the role of journalism as a formative agent of society in the face of the complex issue of Human Rights. The work brings up ethical issues inherent to journalistic practices with a focus on Human Rights (HR). In the first part, we develop Bourdieu's notions of field, bringing elements considered fundamental to understanding the historical paradigm of practices and tensions linked to the concreteness of the profession. In a second moment, we discuss ethical issues from Camus, as a counterpoint during the genesis of the HD issue and, shortly after, we expose a framework of ideas about a (re)thinking of HD — coming from a specialized literature. We believe that journalism needs, first, a self-criticism about the impoverishment of this matter when it comes to public debate; under penalty of misinforming society about the risks that the corruption of the meaning of human rights symbolizes for itself.