After observing mainstream media for a long-time, it is clear that journalism is in decline, said Turi Munthe, founder and Chief Executive Officer of “Demotix”, a newswire and photo agency. “There are no more journalists. The internet and big businesses has killed them off”, he said. According to Munthe, the massive use of internet and business ownership structure of media groups were the main reason for its decline.
Munthe was in Karachi as part of his visit to various cities in South Asia. Elaborating on the objectives of his organisation, he said that it intends to rescue journalism and promote free expression by connecting independent journalists with the traditional media. “I came here to meet local journalists, photographers, students, bloggers or anyone with a story to tell,” he said. “The second purpose of this visit was to meet mainstream media organisations and build a relationship with them.”
Munthe learnt of citizen journalism some three years ago, and decided to launch a website to fill the gaps within traditional media. On January 05, 2009, Demotix was launched and to date, it has more than 3, 000 members from 80 countries.
“Citizen Journalism is a new source of news and we gather information from people for people,” he added. “We upload stories with pictures only,” he informed. He also said that Demotix sold stories and pictures to mainstream media and, if they carry any news items from their platform, they handover exactly half of the received amount to the correspondent.
He further said that after a couple of months, people also started uploading their videos and documentaries on the link. “Anyone who wants to write or send a story should register with Demotix. The person could also stay anonymous, if they wish, particularly where environments are not safe for citizen journalist,” he added. Munthe said that he would like to see Demotix become a global news-space for local news. “We have just been nominated for the Guardian Media Awards for Independent Media,” he stated.
Munthe said that Demotix provides a way for people from around the world to tell their stories to the world. Demotix is a website, where citizens from across the world share information by sending their stories and photographs. “The two main reasons behind the launch of Demotix were the freedom of speech and the freedom to know,” he said.
Open societies are those where people are free to participate in activities and can exchange their views and information with others,” answered Munthe, when asked about what prompted him to start the citizen-based wire service.Talking about his experiences in India and Pakistan, Munthe said that he saw a lot of similarities between Mumbai and Karachi.
“There is so much common between Mumbai and Karachi, they appear to me to be twin cities. From the way the cities work in overlapping layers, to the kindness and openness of the people I have met,” he continued.
“I have loved every minute of my stay here and I have been bowled over by the kindness of everyone I’ve met. It’s a complicated part of the world, which makes its successes all the more remarkable,” he asserted. He suggested to the locals to become members of the Demotix and share their stories with the rest of the world.