The Crossman Conversation
Can Trust in Journalism and Local News Reporting be Restored?
Find Out How Marvin Olasky is Leading the Way
Journalism has become one of the least-trusted professions in America, but local journalism is essential for the survival of democracy.
Author, journalist, and former editor of World Magazine Marvin Olasky has a plan to restore trust and faith in the profession as well as restore local news reporting service to communities.
National news is important, but local news is what brings communities together and drives grassroots activism. Local news and the newspapers that deliver it are disappearing at a dangerous rate.
Marvin Olasky says two major drivers of this trend are the ascension of the internet and the decline of local advertising revenue. Olasky began his career as a local reporter; he is a Senior Fellow of Discovery Institute and its Center for Science and Culture; the former editor of World; a former college professor; and the author of 28 books.
When Olasky joined me on The Crossman Conversation, he shared the details of the Reforming Journalism Project, a movement to reform journalism in communities and fill in the gaps left behind as journalism shifts toward big cities or national and international news.
Olasky said:
“Almost a hundred percent of people in the United States know the name of the President, but only a minority of those people know the name of their mayor. That’s trouble for democracy.”
It’s easy for people to spend hours watching cable news and reading stories on the internet, but they come away feeling hopeless and depressed because one person can’t have a national impact. But one person can make a difference at the local level. If they know about the issues and opportunities, they can be part of the solution — and good local journalism is what makes that happen.
Olasky says it starts with curiosity. Great journalists are brave and love adventure. He said, “They want to introduce readers to places they’re unlikely to have visited, people they’re unlikely to have met, and ideas that they may not have thought about.” And it’s absolutely possible to do that on the local level with an impact that will be felt for generations.
The Reforming Journalism Project offers an intensive five-day course covering news and sports reporting, crime and investigative journalism, and the business aspects of local journalism, including how to create local websites with local news. A few of these websites are already operating, but, Olasky said, “There needs to be a lot more all over the country.”
The training, scheduled for August 8–12, 2022, will be held at Union University in Jackson, TN. Tuition, room, and meals are provided at no cost to accepted applicants. Visit ReformingJournalism.com for complete information.
In addition to local journalism, Olasky and I talked about some controversial political issues and he shared details of some of the more memorable moments of his own journalism career.
To hear the entire conversation, go to:
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