Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
4-minute read
22 May 2025 | 10:45 CAT

Media Lens: Shifting perspectives to challenge dominant narratives and spotlight silenced voices.

As Israel’s military assault on Gaza escalates, with over 1 000 Palestinians killed since mid-March, questions are mounting over how global media covers crises of such magnitude. Amid growing dissatisfaction with traditional news outlets, citizen-driven platforms like Zateo Media are gaining ground, marking a notable shift in how news is consumed and understood in South Africa and beyond.

On its first anniversary, Zateo stands as a compelling case for the power of grassroots journalism. Founded as an independent, citizen-owned outlet with a Muslim CEO at its helm, the platform’s survival and growth without corporate or state funding signals a changing tide. “It’s not driven by big money, but by user subscriptions,” said Ibrahim Deen, a researcher at the Afro-Middle East Centre in Johannesburg, during a discussion on Radio Islam International. “What it shows is that the old traditional model of media is broken.”

The emergence of platforms like Zateo reflects a media landscape in flux—one shaped by direct audience engagement and driven by public interest rather than profit or political pressure. From the United States’ Midas Touch to content creators leveraging Substack, YouTube, and Instagram, independent journalism is increasingly telling the stories that mainstream outlets often overlook or underplay.

Particularly significant is how this model is covering the genocide in Gaza. “These outlets cover international affairs from a people-driven, not power-driven, lens,” Deen explained. The absence of corporate ties gives them editorial freedom, and in an era where media bias is under constant scrutiny, this independence is invaluable.

Still, the influence of legacy media cannot be dismissed. It continues to shape policy discourse and holds sway in corridors of power. Yet, Deen noted, “TikTok and similar platforms have allowed those previously silenced to speak. The barriers to entry have lowered. There’s a diversity of news and views.”

As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, however, new ethical and credibility challenges are surfacing. From auto-generated misinformation to deepfake visuals, the line between truth and falsehood is increasingly blurred. Deen highlighted a recent incident where X’s AI chatbot, Grok, misinformed users about a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa—a stark reminder of the dangers posed by unchecked AI narratives.

“Verification becomes a critical issue,” Deen warned. In conflict zones like Gaza or Syria, distinguishing factual citizen reports from manipulated content is harder than ever. AI’s ‘hypnosis effect’—its confidence in wrong answers—adds to the complexity.

The role of platforms like Zateo thus extends beyond mere reporting. It’s about education, verification, and restoring journalistic integrity. But even here, pitfalls exist. “People now tend to listen only to those they agree with, creating echo chambers,” Deen pointed out. “You stop hearing other views and start believing factually incorrect information.”

To mitigate this, tools like Ground News, which assess news sources based on bias and accuracy, have emerged. However, the demand remains for reputable journalists, researchers, and intellectuals to serve as custodians of the truth.

As global crises deepen and the media ecosystem continues to evolve, platforms like Zateo are not just disrupting the narrative—they are redefining it. And for South Africa’s emerging generation of media consumers, this could not be more timely.

Listen to the Media Lens on Sabaahul Muslim with Muallimah Shakirah Hunter and Ibrahim Deen.