A huge problem for trust in journalism: Opinion media

[Commentary] I was struck this week by two inside-baseball journalism stories following Oct 30’s Mueller investigation bombshells that spoke, tangentially but notably, to what I have often said about a main obstacle in our industry’s ability to regain the trust of the public: The conflation in many information consumers’ minds between responsible journalism and the opinion media. I invoke the spirit of Walter Cronkite to make some points that I believe are critical in our current time. First, we have a responsibility as journalists, as we face more obstruction, threats, harassment, arrests and even physical assaults, to answer our misguided critics – by that I mean those acting out harshly against responsible journalism, egged on by the bullhorn of some powerful bully pulpits, merely because they don’t like or understand responsible journalism – by doing more and better journalism. Second, as frustrated as the Fox News, Wall Street Journal and, clearly, other responsible journalists are, merely criticizing the opinion media isn’t enough. We must help the public better understand why the countless flagrant acts of responsible journalism being committed every day across the country are essential to their daily lives. A major part of that effort must be to point out that information people consume from the opinion media is just that, opinion. Responsible journalism, conversely, is hard work done by professionals who have dedicated their lives to serving their communities by shining a light on issues that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

[Dan Shelley is the Executive Director at RTDNA]