The Collapse of Trust in News — and How to Win It Back

Trust in news is arguably at an all time low. Many Americans have lost confidence in the press, citing concerns about bias, sensationalism, exaggeration or even deception. It’s tempting to look back to the days of Walter Cronkite with nostalgia. But this lecture will argue that the postwar era (1945-Watergate) was actually a historical aberration, and that polarization in news today reflects older traditions in journalism including the hyper-partisan press of the early Republic, penny press and the yellow press. Looking forward, we’ll examine how trust in news has been lost and how serious, committed journalists can win it back.