Seven experts on politics and journalism discussed strengthening the relationship between Americans and the news media at the Media and Public Affairs Building Wednesday.
Panelists discussed topics like the decline of local news and the degree to which journalists should stay objective in reporting. The event was sponsored by the School of Media and Public Affairs, the Pew Research Center and the White House Correspondents’ Association and moderated by Frank Sesno, the director of SMPA, and Olivier Knox, the president of the WHCA and an SMPA Terker Distinguished Fellow.
Amy Mitchell, the director of journalism research at the Pew Research Center, said a recent survey conducted by the organization found that people praised local journalists for understanding and engaging with their communities but criticized local news organizations for producing little original content.
“We have about half of adults that are saying that most of the local news they are getting is actually outside of the area where they live, which is a pretty startling figure when you think about what it is they’re then learning about and hearing about,” Mitchell said.
Anita Kumar, a White House correspondent and an associate editor for Politico, said local journalists can easily find stories that matter to their communities because they are also a part of them, building trust with readers.
“When I was a local reporter, you would see people in the grocery store, people that you covered and wrote about, and people would know you and know about you in a way that they don’t know about me now,” Kumar said.
Paul Huntsman, the publisher and owner of The Salt Lake Tribune, a local newspaper in Utah, said his publication has seen a major decline in circulation over the past 15 years. As fewer people pick up print papers and thousands have cut their digital subscriptions, the publication has cut 100 staff positions, he said.
But Huntsman added that the local journalism industry has reached a “transformative time” and must rely on both community members and reporters to sustain itself.
“Communities absolutely have to have a strong journalism community in order to progress and move forward and ensure our democratic principles as a country,” Huntsman said.
