As some may have noticed, one being our opinion editor, I rarely take to writing opinion articles. There are certain qualifiers that I typically identify before committing to a published work that is simply my opinion. This is one I did hesitate to write, and even found myself putting off longer than necessary. I have found that talking about the state of journalism is a hard conversation because it’s one that I hold so closely.
Yet, I am here to talk about news and why we should be supporting local outlets now more than ever.
I found a love for journalism not only because of the warm and welcoming Communiqué staff and faculty, but also because I was scared. The world that we live in is deeply uncertain, and so is the future.
Just this year, multiple journalists were arrested in Minneapolis while covering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests. At least 234 media workers have been killed since the genocide on Gaza started Oct. 7, 2023. The Trump administration slashed public media federal funding by $9 billion (which is 9,000 millions, to put it in perspective).
It goes to show that support is being rescinded by an administration that has foundations in secrecy, discrimination and facism. Those who want to suppress freedom must suppress the press.
It was recently announced that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will be shutting down in May after publishing for 240 years. Workers had been on strike for over three years, and two months following the end of the strike, the end of the paper was announced. A little over a week prior, the Pittsburgh City Paper – which also had ties to the Post-Gazette’s owners – announced that it would also be shutting down.
So where should we be reading the news?
There is no singular solution to these questions. But it is safe to say that the hole that has been left in Pittsburgh news coverage is not one that will be left alone. Pittsburgh Alliance for People-Empowered Reporting’s (PAPER) creation was announced shortly after the expected closure of the Post-Gazette. PAPER was created by a coalition of Post-Gazette union journalists and community members who are looking for news alternatives to “serve as a source of communication and connection that reflects the needs of working-class people in the region,” per its website.
Outlets such as PublicSource, NEXTpittsburgh, WESA and TribLIVE are also organizations reporting on Pittsburgh on a local level. And if you’re still reading this, you may already know that student-run media outlets help to share stories that would otherwise go untold.
Today’s media world is incredibly concentrated. This is why readers should know not only where their news is coming from but also how to practice media literacy, fact-checking and verifying the news they consume.
We are always exposed to news, whether intentionally or not. The Pew Research Center reported that many people struggle to tell the difference between fact and opinion. It is important that as you read, watch or listen, you are also checking for sources, reading articles from multiple outlets and keeping an eye out for paid promotion/commercial ties. Look to find content with credited authors, find lots of sources, look closely at how some of the same events are talked about from different people/outlets.
In “The Elements of Journalism,” a text that all news writing and editing students at Chatham must read, authors Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel write that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. It is to be loyal to its citizens, it must serve to monitor those in power, and it provides a forum for public criticism and compromise.
In the book, the authors share this anecdote: During the early 1980s, martial law was imposed onto Poland. Television broadcasting was banned, and televisions showed only static until 7:30 p.m. This is when a national news broadcast would play. People protested by walking their dogs at this exact time. Many others turned their television screens to the windows as a form of protest, refusing to fall for propaganda and fight for the truth.
This is only one example of why honest and ethical journalism is and always has been so crucial to nations around the world.
Through these means of responsibly consuming media can one be factually informed and engage with their own communities on local levels. This is what leads to change, progress and groundbreaking journalism. This is not something to be put off, even by me.
