"Journalism is under threat from without and within. The threat from without includes technology's transformation of journalism, with the shift from print to digital news causing many newspapers to close or decline. Additionally, the U.S. faces a president who has described media as an enemy of the American people, using language expected in authoritarian regimes."
"The media is known as the fourth estate for a reason. We are an integral part of what it means to be a healthy society, a healthy democracy. Accurate information is a form of freedom. You can't have a free society unless you have free flows of information."
"Media outlets have lost Americans' trust from the inside by becoming overtly partisan and developing lazy reporting habits. For example, media outlets assert experts say without names, facts or quotes. This drives skeptics into cynicism, away from trusting news media."
Journalist Bret Stephens and investor Seth Klarman discussed media, democracy, and debate at a public event. Both emphasized that a free press and culture of respectful disagreement are fundamental to democratic society. Stephens identified threats to journalism from external sources, including technology's transformation of news from print to digital formats, causing newspaper closures, and political rhetoric describing media as an enemy of the people. Internal threats stem from media outlets becoming overtly partisan and adopting lazy reporting practices, such as citing unnamed experts without supporting facts or quotes. These practices erode public trust and drive skepticism toward news media.
#free-press-and-democracy #media-credibility-and-trust #political-polarization #journalism-challenges #respectful-debate
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