On Assignment by The Assignment Desk

As local newspapers vanish and broadcast outlets shrink, a new—and often shadowy—ecosystem is stepping in to fill the information void: Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and community-run pages now serve as the de facto newsrooms for thousands of towns across the country.

In this episode of On Assignment, host Gath Townsend speaks with Dr. Leona M. Rios, a researcher and self-described “reluctant group chat participant,” who...

In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Dr. Kanji Nakamura, a civic engagement expert from San Francisco, unpacks one of the most urgent threats to American democracy: political polarization. As partisan divides deepen and media discourse grows more combative, what role should journalism play in restoring trust and fostering dialogue?

Dr. Nakamura explores how traditional journalism's reliance on conflict...

What if the key to healing our national divisions isn’t in Washington, but right next door? In this episode of On Assignment, host Liz Cochrane explores the idea of “Quantum Civics” — the notion that small, local civic actions can ripple out to address some of our deepest societal rifts. She’s joined by Dr. Kenji Nakamura, a San Francisco-based researcher whose work bridges political psychology and grassroots organizing, t...

In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Dr. Marisol Treviño unpacks the complex world of user-generated content (UGC) — the citizen-shot videos, social media posts, and crowdsourced stories that are rapidly reshaping modern journalism.

From the frontlines of breaking news to investigative reporting powered by public contributions, Dr. Treviño explores how newsrooms are leveraging everyday voices to en...

User-generated content—or UGC—is reshaping the way news is gathered, reported, and consumed. In this episode of On Assignment, host Gath Townsend sits down with digital media expert Dr. Marisol Treviño to explore how everyday people are becoming part of the journalistic process through photos, tweets, videos, and on-the-ground reporting.

They dive into the origins of UGC, its impact on breaking news coverage, and the ri...

Why do we keep scrolling through headlines that only make us feel worse?

In this bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Nari Han—a researcher who explores why people disengage from news and what brings them back—guides us through the emotional and behavioral terrain of doomscrolling. With insights from research at the University of California, Harvard Health, and the Steinman Institute, Han explains how our brains are w...

What if local news could do more than report problems—what if it could inspire action and connection?

In this episode, host Liz Cochrane speaks with Nari Han about the growing disconnect many people feel when faced with a relentless stream of bad news. Together, they explore how the concept of "civic joy" offers a new path forward: storytelling that builds trust, reflects community resilience, and invites meaningful engagem...

In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, Malcolm Redd steps into the host chair to explore the financial future of local journalism. As advertising dollars vanish into the coffers of Big Tech, newsrooms are scrambling to find sustainable models—from reader-funded startups and journalist-owned cooperatives to nonprofit newsrooms and public benefit corporations.

Drawing on examples from Defector to Lookout Santa Cr...

In this episode of "On Assignment," host Liz Cochrane sits down with expert Malcolm Redd to explore the challenging landscape facing local news outlets in Central Pennsylvania. We dig into the broken business model that has traditionally funded local journalism.

Malcolm explains how the old reliance on local advertising revenue has largely disappeared online, leaving newsrooms struggling to find ways to pay the bills. This ...

In this special supplemental episode of On Assignment, guest host Marianne Keller explores a growing crisis that’s quietly reshaping life in America: the expansion of news deserts — communities with little to no access to reliable local news.

More than 3,200 newspapers have vanished since 2005. Jobs have disappeared. Local stories go untold. Government oversight weakens. And millions of people — particularly in rural, low-i...

Where do people  get their news—and what does that say about the health of our civic life? In this episode of On Assignment, host Gath Townsend is joined by media ecosystem expert Marianne Keller to unpack the findings of Central Pennsylvania first-ever Information Ecosystem Map. They explore how traditional and informal sources—from newspapers to Facebook groups—shape community connection, trust, and participation.

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Welcome to a special episode of On Assignment, where we explore journalism’s biggest questions and boldest challenges. Guest hosted by Jane Swisshelm, and today we’re asking: How can news organizations earn back the public’s trust?

In a time of rampant misinformation, political polarization, and digital noise, trust in the media is at a critical low. But there are real, research-backed strategies that newsrooms are ...

In this episode of On Assignment, host Liz Cochrane sits down with information ecosystem expert Jane Swisshelm to explore a core issue at the heart of modern journalism: trust. Drawing from research and lived experience in Central Pennsylvania, they unpack why rebuilding trust in news isn’t just about delivering facts—it’s about fostering relationships, transparency, and shared community spaces. From “news deserts” to inte...