By Manvendra Singh Thakur

A person who speaks more than one language can help a local story reach people who might otherwise miss it. In his essay, Manvendra Singh Thakur considers what multilingual citizens can add to reporting on events around them.

Listen across communities

Language helps a reporter hear people in their own words. That can make room for voices that large outlets overlook, including speakers of less widely used languages. It also helps the reporter notice when a phrase carries a cultural meaning that a literal translation would miss.

Reach more readers, check the facts

A multilingual journalist can share an account with several language communities, but a wider audience also raises the stakes of an error. Check names, dates and the original context before publishing. Distinguish what a witness saw from what someone else claims. When translating a quote, preserve its meaning without adding certainty that was not there.

Citizen reporting works best when access and verification go together. Careful translation can help a cross-border story stay faithful to its source.