Somebody’s got to save journalism and University of Pennsylvania Professor Victor Pickard might be the person to do it!

Victor Pickard joins Domenic and Jenna to share his ideas on a new model of sustainable local journalism, as “the old model crumbles.” He also shares why we need to see local journalism as an essential part of a healthy community if the republic is going to survive.

And it all starts with one question, “What did you mean by, ‘Journalism and Capitalism was a match made in hell?’”

Professor Pickard, author of “Democracy Without Journalism: Confronting the Misinformation Society”
https://victorpickard.com/

00:42: Headlines
14:26: Interview
51:39: Journalism Spotlight

Headlines:

Opinion | Gannett and McClatchy to drop The Associated Press. What does that mean?
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2024/associated-press-gannett-mcclatchy-drop-content/

UNH reportedly set to eliminate journalism major from English Department
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/03/15/unh-reportedly-set-to-eliminate-journalism-major-from-english-department/

Spotlight:

Black Punk Means Liberation
https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/black-punk-now/

WBUR’S new limited series podcast, 'Beyond All Repair,' in partnership with ZSP Media
https://www.wbur.org/inside/2024/02/15/wbur-announces-new-limited-series-podcast-beyond-all-repair-in-partnership-with-zsp-media

How To Save Journalism

We're 10 episodes in and Dom and Jenna take some time to reflect on their own layoff journey, starting a podcast and having it take shape in real time what were the big news stories that made them realize how big of an impact good and bad journalism can have.

Laid Off And Looking 10th Episode

"You've been laid off? Well that's ok, you can just freelance until the next job comes along!"

That's a phrase many laid off journalists hear immediately after a job loss. But is it that simple?

Dom and Jenna talk with writer, author and writing coach Caitlin Kelly about what it really takes to survive as a freelance journalist. What she's gained and given up to do so.

https://caitlinkelly.com/

Headlines: 1:13

Interview: 7:42

Spotlight: 52:45

Headline Article:
U.S. job growth totaled 275,000 in February but unemployment rate rose to 3.9%
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/08/jobs-report-february-2024-us-job-growth-totaled-275000.html

A record number of Americans are choosing to work part time. Here's why.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/01/25/part-time-jobs-hit-record-high/72331112007/

Spotlight Article:
With ‘Cowboy Carter,’ Black country music fans are front and center, at last
https://19thnews.org/2024/03/cowboy-carter-black-country-music-fans/

The Cost Of Freelancing

With so many layoffs taking place in a difficult job market, many laid off journalists will be faced with the question, 'Should I do something else?' 

Walking away from a competitive and passionate calling can feel daunting and disorienting, so Jenna and Dom turn to a well-respected journalist who pivoted on his own terms, Ken Lovett. 

Lovett used to be the Albany bureau chief for the NY Daily News, now he is a partner at Ichor Strategies, a consulting firm out of Brooklyn. 
And he's perfectly happy. 

https://www.ichorstrategies.com/ 

Headlines: 1:14 

Interview: 12:02 

Recap: 46:51 

Headline Articles: 
Illinois Journalism Preservation Act calls for Big Tech to compensate local news outlets https://dailynorthwestern.com/2024/04/09/lateststories/illinois-journalism-preservation-act-calls-for-big-tech-to-compensate-local-news-outlets/ 

Let’s Retire the “Leaving Journalism” Fallacy Your career as a journalist doesn’t have to be a one-way trip. https://niemanreports.org/articles/lets-retire-the-leaving-journalism-fallacy/

Leaving Journalism? It's Ok.

Local journalism is the antidote to polarization.

Several people we’ve spoken to have all pointed out that the decline in local journalism coincides with the rise in political polarization.

So how do you save local journalism?

Illinois State Senator Steve Stadelman and Zachary Richner, founding member of New York State’s Empire State Local News Coalition both say government has a role to play in supporting local news. Each has introduced legislation to their state government to help support local journalism.

In Illinois: Journalism Preservation Act
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?GA=103&DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=3591&GAID=17&SessionID=112&LegID=153333

Strengthening Community Media Act
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=3592&GAID=17&GA=103&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=153334&SessionID=112

In New York State:  The Local Journalism Sustainability Act
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A02958&term=2023&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y

Headlines: 1:16

Interview: 6:51

Spotlight: 42:54

Headlines Articles:

Wall Street Journal Has Yet Another Round of Layoffs
The layoffs, which came after months of cuts, impacted the social media and video desks.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/wall-street-journal-lays-off-staff-on-video-and-social-desks

'L.A. Taco' is the Latest Local Journalism Outlet Fighting to Survive: There's also trouble brewing at the Long Beach Post and Knock LA, both adding to the instability and struggle of the local media climate
https://lamag.com/news/l-a-taco-is-the-latest-local-journalism-outlet-fighting-to-survive

Spotlight Articles:
A city’s ‘disenfranchised grief,’ four years in the making
Moving on, grappling with loss and everything in between: COVID-19’s toll on Detroiters
https://outliermedia.org/detroit-disenfranchised-grief-covid-19-fourth-anniversary/

LOCKED OUT
Homelessness in Long Beach
There has never been a time when more public money is being invested in trying to get people off the streets. Yet the number of unhoused individuals in Long Beach rose by a startling 62% in the last two years. Why has it been so hard to get people into permanent housing?
https://lbpost.com/investigations/

Can Government Fix Journalism?

Not all news is bad news. Sometimes it's good news. 

Not feel good stories, but stories that show an answer, or solution to a community's problem.

Domenic and Jenna talk with David Bornstein, co-founder of Solutions Journalism Network, an independent, non-profit organization that advocates an approach of solutions journalism, an evidence-based mode of reporting.

Bornstein tells Dom and Jenna, journalism doesn't have to be emotionally exhausting to be considered news. He says you can lead with a solution, instead of the problem and still tell a compelling story.

Headlines:
1:20

Interview:
11:48

Spotlight:
49:17

LINKS
News Headlines:
Local news coalition efforts are successful
https://riverreporter.com/stories/local-news-coalition-efforts-are-successful,144823#google_vignette

WBUR cuts up to 14% of staff, including buyouts and layoffs
https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/04/24/wbur-cuts-buyouts-layoffs-jobs-boston-media

Solutions Journalism Network
https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/

Spotlights:
‘The Daily Show’: Jon Stewart Calls Out Cable News Networks For How They Cover Donald Trump Amid Hush Money Trial
https://deadline.com/2024/04/the-daily-show-jon-stewart-calls-out-cable-news-networks-donald-trump-hush-money-trial-1235892238/amp/

Daily Show Monologue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqkf2U5jcE0&t=352s

A long, hot U.S. summer is looming, forecasters say
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/summer-2024-heat-weather

Solutions Journalism

What’s your brand? Your journalist brand?

Traditionally, journalists will tell you the organization or the media outlet they work for IS the brand and they are presenting their reporting through that brand. But is that the old way?

Phil Rosen, a business journalist turned entrepreneur with a popular financial newsletter, ‘Opening Bell Daily’ says for journalists to survive in this chaotic climate of layoffs and closures, defining their personal brand is essential to professional survival.

Phil Rosen Blog
https://philrosen.blog/

Opening Bell Daily
https://www.openingbelldailynews.com/

Journalists Club
https://twitter.com/JournalistsClub

Headlines
1:09

Interview
11:55

Spotlight
47:09

Headlines

TheGrio Lays Off Video, Pod Team, Managing Editor Over ‘Strategic Changes’ 
https://www.thewrap.com/thegrio-layoffs-managing-editor-allen-media-group/

Audacy Lays Off 2% of Workforce
https://www.billboard.com/business/radio/audacy-lays-off-employees-1235666511/

Keith Johnson, AnnMarie Welser among WBBM layoffs
https://reelchicago.com/article/keith-johnson-annmarie-welser-among-wbbm-layoffs/


The Future of TNT's Iconic 'Inside the NBA' Is in Major Jeopardy
New report says NBC/Peacock is making an aggressive bid to steal the NBA from Turner Sports
https://www.si.com/nba/2024/04/30/inside-the-nba-tnt-future-in-jeopardy

Spotlight

Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rip-mtv-news/id1738048424?i=1000654142893

How To Brand Yourself As Journalist

Is the onslaught of layoffs affecting the journalism we all consume? 

Jenna and Dom are just two of likely thousands of journalists that have been laid off, taken buyouts or worked for media outlets that simply went out of business. Officially, nobody really knows how many journalists and what demographics they represented in their respective newsrooms are no longer working in the business. 

Enter Katherine Reynolds Lewis. She is an award-winning science journalist, author, speaker and founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists (IIJ). Katherine also created the Census of Laid Off Journalists to find out how many people the industry has shed to understand what impact that might have on our information ecosystem.

Headlines: 
1:29

Interview:
13:08

Spotlight:
40:17

Katherine Reynolds Lewis
https://www.katherinerlewis.com/

Institute for Independent Journalists
https://theiij.com/

Census for Laid Off Journalists
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIkMeHvX3omCYLwa-zEdt4uQpMPf45UZ9iU7Qc82m7BrtuZg/viewform

Headlines:
Byron Allen’s Media Company to Undergo Layoffs
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/byron-allen-media-company-layoffs-1235889191/

Layoffs at Byron Allen’s media company will hit 12% of workforce: sources
https://nypost.com/2024/05/03/media/layoffs-at-byron-allens-media-company-will-hit-12-of-workforce-sources/

Pulitzer Prizes in journalism awarded to The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and others
https://apnews.com/article/pulitzer-prizes-2024-awards-journalism-arts-reporting-6e07cdcf937d49158d452f2cc0dbc214

Columbia Spectator
Our Campus, Our Crisis
https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/05/04/our-campus-our-crisis/
https://nymag.com/press/article/a-special-report-by-the-columbia-daily-spectator-staff.html

Spotlight:
HellGate
Report: Why ‘Affordable Housing’ Is Rarely Affordable in NYChttps://hellgatenyc.com/why-affordable-housing-is-rarely-affordable-in-nyc-css-ami-report

Census Of Laid Off Journalists

Why have so many Americans lost faith in journalism?

Is it because we're all terrible manipulative people? Or is it because the public often confuses hard news, with analysis of news with opinions about the news?
And is there a clear understanding between misinformation and disinformation?

Enter the News Literacy Project!

Domenic and Jenna talk with Erin Olson, Sr Manager of State Partnerships for the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that seeks to give people the skills to identify credible news.

News Literacy Project
https://newslit.org/

Headlines:
1:20

Interview:
11:14

Spotlight:
47:40

Show Headlines:

News organizations have trust issues as they gear up to cover another election, a poll finds
https://apnews.com/article/news-organizations-trust-poll-misinformation-18235eaef4fdfbdc9c1f7e8693744b21

More Feelings Of Misinformation, More News Avoidance, University Of Michigan Study Shows
https://news.umich.edu/more-feelings-of-misinformation-more-news-avoidance-u-m-study-shows/

Show Spotlight:

Echoes of the Past: Today’s student protests draw from historyhttps://amsterdamnews.com/news/2024/05/09/echoes-of-the-past-todays-student-protests-draw-from-history/

Downsizing local news contributes to crumbling infrastructurehttps://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/local-news-impact-infrastructure

News Literacy Is Fundamental

Ever picked up what looks like a local paper or clicked on a link to what should be a local story only to find pseudo journalism masquerading as local reporting? 

Congratulations! You just got slimed. Pink slimed that is.

Pink Slime Journalism referrers to the low-cost, low-quality local-ish news content oozing across the country, especially prominent in news deserts that lack local coverage.

Domenic and Jenna interview Barrett Golding, a Peabody Award-winning producer and Reynolds Journalism Institute fellow who also created and runs the blog IFFY News, an index of Unreliable News Sources.

https://iffy.news/

Headlines:
1:38

Interview:
13:04

Spotlight:
48:03


Headline Articles:
Scripps News To Partner With ProPublica On Original Investigative Journalism

https://tvnewscheck.com/journalism/article/scripps-news-to-partner-with-propublica-on-original-investigative-journalism/

GBH employees say they were left in the dark as layoffs announced

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/05/22/its-really-disturbing-gbh-employees-say-they-were-left-in-the-dark-as-layoffs-announced/

GBH is laying off 31 employees, about 4% of Boston public station workforce: ‘This is painful’

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/05/22/gbh-is-cutting-employees-at-boston-public-station-we-have-been-told-nothing-its-really-disturbing/

Spotlight Article:

I Went to Karen Summer Camp
A rage ritual might be the only place in America where the wrath of white women is welcomed.


https://www.thefp.com/p/i-went-to-karen-summer-camp

Pink Slime Journalism

Award winning journalists, Jenna Flanagan and Domenic Camia turn their layoff into purpose by taking a critical eye to American journalism. 
Why an industry once considered profitable and trustworthy has been steadily cutting journalists and loosing public support?
Why has local news all but disappeared?
Why has national media become so polarizing?
And what does this mean for the future of American democracy?

We're not just laid off, we looking at what's left of the journalism industry.

New episodes drop every Friday at noon.

Census Of Laid Off Journalists

Laid Off and Looking

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