The State of the Media

Freedom of the press, granted by our Founding Fathers, is the cornerstone of any successful democracy. Our country is filled with committed journalists dedicated to seeking the truth and informing the public.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe.”

Our daughters are performing as never before and outperforming boys. But, there’s a disturbing contradiction that parents and teachers should be aware of.

We’re thrilled to honor Amanda Bennett as the Distinguished Female Journalist of the Year.

President Trump’s relentless attacks to discredit, degrade and demonize journalism have damaged public opinion of our profession. A Morning Consult/POLITICO Poll released last October found 46% of Americans believe major news organizations fabricate stories on Trump. Journalists are facing challenges.

Something peculiar happens between journalism school – where women account for 70% – and the journalism profession – where women hold 38% of bylines and credits in print, digital, TV and wire news.

Audie Cornish is the co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” an award-winning newsmagazine, who previously worked at outlets such as the Associated Press and Boston’s award-winning public radio station WBUR.

A lot has happened over the last four months. On the policy side, we’ve seen everything from tariff threats to Syrian strikes. While at the White House, chaos reigns supreme with cabinet shake-ups and new legal troubles for President Trump’s personal attorney.

I love my job. I’m with Bloomberg News, now on maternity leave. Being with my new daughter is second to nothing but beating the competition on market-moving news by seconds – what a rush!

“The ‘war with media’ has made me realize journalism is essential to understanding current events and how they pertain to our lives. If a journalist’s mission is to uncover the truth, media is not an ‘enemy’ of democracy, but an institution that invigorates and sustains it.”

Unfortunately, women – especially women of color – are underrepresented in newsrooms nationwide. Yet, we know that diversity in journalism helps us present a more complete picture of the world.

Women have been talking amongst ourselves for years about the obstacles we face in our careers. That’s a major reason the #MeToo movement has exploded. Not every woman has been sexually assaulted at work – but every woman knows how it feels to be marginalized, ignored and disrespected.

What is happening at your child’s school? Property taxes going up? New restaurant coming to town? Is that nursing home safe for mom?

Publics worldwide overwhelmingly agree that the news media should be unbiased in their political coverage: A median of 75% across 38 countries, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey.

This has been a year when the media and truth itself are under siege. Women in media have tackled previously hidden patterns of sexual harassment, wage discrimination and hiring policies that excluded and intimidated women in media organizations of all kinds.

The week of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is one of Washington’s most action-packed of the year. But looking past the pomp, it’s a time to recognize the importance of a free press and the role that excellent journalism plays in our society.

This week, Washingtonian, along with Story Partners, is proud to host the fourth annual Washington Women in Journalism Awards, during which we will be thrilled to present the following award winners:

Americans’ trust in the media is at an all-time low. Gallup finds that 32% have “a great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the mass media. This is down from 72% in 1976, in the wake of Watergate.

It’s more important than ever today that we have smart, hardworking journalists seeking the truth – and the major role played by female journalists in delivering thoughtful, groundbreaking news cannot be ignored.

Many times on assignment to some exotic dateline, I’ve caught my breath and thought, I can’t believe someone is PAYING me to do this. It’s such a mind-blowing privilege to roam the world, to meet people changing it, to contribute to writing the first draft of history.

The biggest challenge for journalism schools today is teaching skills for a continually changing news industry. Yes, the number of students we enroll has shrunk (along with the size of many newsrooms), but there are still eager students who are interested in the field and an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

I’ve been a lucky journalist with the good fortune to witness so many news-making events my own mother’s called me Calamity Jane. But probably my best break was getting hired by the New Yorker, which still believes in giving reporters enough time and space to tell the full story.

When Guy Benson and I wrote “End of Discussion” in 2015, we were certain there’d be a backlash against ultra-PC policing of language and beliefs. We didn’t know it would come so fast or its name would be President Donald Trump.

If schadenfreude made a sound, Washington would be reverberating with it. Democrats and #NeverTrump-ers are gloating as the Trump administration stumbles through its first 100 days.

The social media age and presidential tweets vastly complicate the White House Press Secretary’s job. But some things remain the same.

The volatile relationship between the administration and the news media, combined with the prevalence of fake news and misleading content online, is causing Americans to feel more confused about who and what to believe than ever before.

National Journal President Kevin Turpin II weighs in on media companies’ business model approach: