Can Steve Waldman Save U.S. Journalism?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has charged Steven Waldman with helping traditional journalism as now practiced by newspapers and TV stations find its place in the digital age. As a special adviser to Genachowski, a former Columbia classmate and business associate, Waldman says he will study the "the very worrisome and deep contraction of journalism" and then come up with some ideas for revitalizing it. "The future of news and the future of journalism and information cuts across all these different platforms — local broadcast news, cable, mobile, the Internet, newspapers and radio. They are all interconnected now. So you can't really assess policy in silos. The chairman is interested in making sure we're thinking creatively and in a coordinated way."