Journalism for Social Change in Asia ─ Reporting Human Rights

This book explores the role and purpose of journalism to spark and propagate change by investigating human rights journalism and its capacity to inform, educate and activate change. Downman and Ubayasiri maximize this approach by proposing a new paradigm of reporting through the use of human-focussed news values. This approach is a radical departure from the traditional style that typically builds on abstract concepts. The book will explore human rights journalism through the lens of complex issues such as human trafficking and people smuggling in the Asian context. This is not just a book for journalists, or journalism academics, but a book for activists, human rights advocates or anyone who believes in the power of journalism to change the world.

Scott Downman is a Journalism Lecturer at the University of Queensland. Scott has worked in anti-human trafficking project in Southeast Asia for more than a decade. 

Kasun Ubayasiri is a Journalism Lecturer at Griffith University, and a former Sri Lankan journalist with a special interest in human rights and conflict reporting.