A Seven-Decade Journey

Editorial

By Madhukar Ramlallah

Beekrumsing Ramlallah started the Mauritius Times (MT) in 1954. In an earlier article, we mentioned that it was in 1953, during the World Overseas Indian Conference organized by Dr K.D. Kumria in London, that Somdath Bhuckory, Sewgobind Sharma, and Beekrumsing Ramlallah shared their thoughts on the most effective way to counter the vilification campaign of those who were then militating against the pro-independence movement led by the Mauritius Labour Party—and everything Indian.

“It was during those late-night discussions, which lasted until the early hours of the morning (as related to Yvan Martial by the founder of this paper and published in l’express on 13 June 1991), that the idea of launching a newspaper that would go beyond the boundaries that the Labour Party’s Advance daily paper had set for itself took shape. It fell upon Beekrumsing Ramlallah to set the ball rolling the following year with the publication of the first issue of the paper on 14 August 1954, with the support of a dozen intellectuals of his generation.”

It was a daunting task for a 39-year-old man with no formal training in journalism and the newspaper business. Mrinal Roy recounts in his article published in this paper in 2014 how his father, a Labour patriarch more famously known as JNR, warned young Beekrumsing about the demanding nature of the responsibility and how taxing it could be on his time. With his usual resolve and undaunted vigour, he decided to take up the challenge without any consideration for profits to be derived from the newspaper. There was a cause to be defended, and that was it.

Indeed, the events and incidents characterizing Mauritius’ march towards emancipation contributed significantly to giving the MT an important cause to defend. It was the provocative pen of Noel Marrier d’Unienville (NMU) and his vitriolic denigration of all who did not espouse his parochial views of history that more sharply defined the cause MT set out to support. MT became a crucial tool for raising public awareness about the potential dangers of clannish pursuits associated with the dominant economic and social interests of those who supported NMU’s philosophy Its mission was to awaken the entire population, without any discrimination or communal/economic bias, to the better days awaiting it if it claimed all that rightfully and justifiably belonged to it. In the words of BR in his inaugural editorial in those founding days, “MT is the collective effort of a group of young Mauritians towards the making of a happier Mauritius.”

After 70 years of uninterrupted weekly publication with the meagre material resources at our disposal, we leave it to historians with a longer perspective to decide on the numerous battles this paper has fought for societal advancement, but it would be no exaggeration to affirm that the paper has challenged petty prejudices, reproached both allies and adversaries for straying from the path, and presented new perspectives for Mauritius to better share its gains and further its development.

The journey has not always been smooth; it has often been fraught with challenges. Had it not been for the unstinting support of a dedicated team of long-standing collaborators sharing the values MT has always championed, MT might not have reached where it is today. These individuals have also been actively involved in high-quality production, ensuring that the paper remained committed to its mission of advocating universal welfare and the upliftment of all, free from communal or business biases.

It is this network of selfless, non-monetary support that has transformed MT into an independent force in the national media landscape. One great supporter of the newspaper, Yvan Martial (YM), former editor-in-chief of l’express, noted that MT has successfully carved out its own niche in the national conversations on different issues, refreshing the flow of national ideas and views, despite not making financial gain its primary objective. However, we must acknowledge that the landscape of newspaper printing has changed considerably over the past 70 years.

Technology has significantly challenged the economic viability of numerous newspapers, not only in Mauritius. Venerable press titles have suffered and continue to do so due to changing reading habits and the proliferation of electronic media and sophisticated technology. ‘Big Business’ increasingly dominates newsrooms worldwide, pushing its version of the truth in an aggressive bid to market itself and shift the rules of the game to its advantage, regardless of the cost to the public. Social media has now taken the space once monopolized by newspapers, influencing public opinion and even contributing to political upheavals in various regions.

The sacrifices made by all those — family members of BR as well as nephews and nieces, friends and supporters of the paper, and members of the MT team as well as Nalanda Bookshop’s — over the years and amidst this evolving technological and competitive environment are commendable. It is this dedication that has helped MT preserve its independent stance and sustain itself financially without compromising its goal of enriching politics, society and the national debate.

By maintaining its core philosophy, MT has upheld its mission, sacrificing potential monetary gains. True, the changing business and technology landscapes impose new and higher costs that could threaten the economic viability of our model. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch stated in an interview with Sky Australia last July that print newspapers have as little as 15 years left — “fifteen years, with a lot of luck,” he cautioned. We cannot ignore this, even if we have shifted to the digital platform since March 2020 with the onset of Covid-19 and resulting in a significant decline in revenue.

The traditional newspaper model has come under threat from fast-evolving technology, which has moved audiences from print papers and websites to mostly Facebook, Instagram and lately TikTok for instant news and entertainment and all the facts they require on their mobile phones wherever they are. That threat has now been compounded by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which can undermine or even threaten journalism as a public service and profession.

“Between disinformation, job losses, inaccuracies, and biases, at this point, the perceived dangers and negative impacts of AI systems known as large language models seem to far outweigh any potential benefits to the industry. But the greatest threat AI poses, in my opinion, is that it will take over the creative process,” argues journalist Alison. It can get even worse regarding its disruptive influence on politics. The same technology that could ‘draft a letter to an elected official’ or help prepare a civic campaign can also ‘interfere with democratic representation, undermine democratic accountability, and corrode social and political trust with its potential to produce disinformation and misinformation’ at a scale and speed unimaginable earlier, he adds. It’s not just journalism that is under threat, but democracy itself, especially from entrenched autocrats and aspiring ones with the tools for disinformation and misinformation just a click away.

As we enter this era of huge unknowns, not just for serious journalism but for society and democracy as a whole, as global trend-setters and social media influencers garner millions of regular or faithful followers, the clouds hanging over the dailies and the weeklies of old can spell doom. Each title and media house will obviously choose its particular strategy, but the brand of independent journalism faces tougher questions than most. Will MT still be around in fifteen years, relying on the energy and selfless dedication of its editorial and support staff? Whether civil society will deem it necessary and important to continue supporting those who speak their minds openly and stand guard against autocrats or forces of division remains an open question.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 16 August 2024