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.

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.

He stated that newspapers became central to Ghana’s fight for self-rule, helping to shape public opinion and mobilise resistance against colonial rule.

“In Ghana, the proliferation of newspapers came with a growing independence struggle.”

Prof Rhodes said many of the journalists and newspaper publishers of the colonial era later became leading figures in Africa’s liberation movements.

“Nearly 90 newspapers, mostly created by African journalists and editors, were created in what was then the Gold Coast Colony.”

He cited Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Accra Evening News as one of the newspapers that became closely associated with the independence struggle.

“He referred to the paper as the backbone of the party.”

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.

“The facts of Nkrumah’s life and leadership had not changed, but how they were selectively portrayed during his rule gave way to a new set of selective portrayals after his rule. Throughout it all, these facts were employed to serve particular agendas, rather than a capital T conception of truth.”

Using that historical lesson, he challenged journalists to distinguish between factual reporting and the broader pursuit of truth.

“As journalists, we commit to both facts and truth, but we must not confuse one for the other. Our commitment to facts is the most basic. We must report the facts, the whole facts, and nothing but the facts.”

However, he cautioned that journalism should not end with simply presenting accurate information.

“Reporting facts fully, completely, and honestly is the first step of good journalism. Not the last. Reporting facts is a necessary but not sufficient condition for reporting truth.”

Prof Rhodes said these principles are especially critical as democracies around the world grapple with growing threats to press freedom, misinformation, and declining public trust in institutions.