"E & P Reports" from Editor & Publisher Magazine hosted by Mike Blinder

What news consumers are really saying about AI: insights from the Trusting News/LMA study 

A new national survey of nearly 1,500 local news consumers reveals growing concern about AI's role in journalism—but also a clear path forward. Funded by the Walton Family Foundation and conducted by the Local Media Association and Trusting News, the study shows audiences overwhelmingly want human o...

http://www.EditorandPublisher.com/Vodcasts 

Jeff Jarvis has never been interested in nostalgia. In a wide‑ranging conversation with E&P Magazine, the longtime media critic, author and journalism educator argues that the survival of local news depends not on preserving legacy structures, but on abandoning them. From print to platforms, from content to community, Jarvis insists that journal...

Free expression in America isn't collapsing all at once — it's eroding quietly, often in ways the public barely notices. In a wide‑ranging conversation, First Amendment scholar Stuart N. Brotman warns that political pressure, platform power and public misunderstanding are reshaping the boundaries of press freedom in real time. Drawing on decades of experience across academia, government and media policy, Brotman makes...

California isn't just a state. It's a story still being written, and USA Today wants a front-row seat. With the launch of Today Californian, the national news giant is investing in a bold new experiment: statewide coverage designed to meet readers wherever they are — from inbox to Instagram. "We're positioning ourselves as highly relevant," says Greg Burton, the project's editorial lead. The goal? To create a digital-first newsroom...

Mark Puente didn't go to j-school — he drove trucks for 15 years before stepping into a newsroom. But when a judge tried to block him from observing a public court hearing, Puente didn't flinch. Armed with experience, instinct, and a phone call to his editor, he stood his ground — ready to risk contempt rather than walk away. What followed wasn't just a clash over access, but a moment that reveals why blue-collar grit still matters...

If you think young people aren't paying attention to the news, think again — they are, and they have thoughts. A new study reveals just how skeptical today's teens are about the press, and the results should make every newsroom take notice. From questions of fairness to fears of fabrication, Gen Z is forming strong opinions about who to trust. In this episode, we dive into what teens really believe — and why it matters for the futu...

Robert Whitehead believes the news industry is entering a make-or-break era defined by AI disruption, collapsing platform traffic and growing public distrust. In a conversation with E&P, he said generative AI is "as transformative as electricity." He warned that publishers are still distracted by "shiny objects" instead of rebuilding the fundamentals that audiences actually value. His new report, authored for the INMA...

For more than 160 years, Stars and Stripes has walked a razor-thin line: serving the U.S. military while holding it accountable. Publisher Max Lederer says that balance remains as vital — and as fragile — as ever, noting that "our staff are paid by the Department of Defense" even as the newsroom is mandated to stay "balanced, objective, independent and impartial." Today, new Pentagon access rules, collapsing trust in media, and sei...

For nearly five decades, Jim Slusher has been one of the Midwest's most thoughtful voices on what journalism owes its readers — and how it earns their trust. As managing editor for opinion at the Daily Herald, he's spent his career pulling back the curtain on newsroom decisions and defending the value of open, honest dialogue. Now, with his new book To Nudge the World, Slusher is challenging both journalists and audiences to rethin...

In a world overwhelmed by AI-generated imagery and shrinking newsroom budgets, the value of authentic photojournalism has never been more at risk — or more essential. The National Press Photographers Association is sounding the alarm: visuals aren't just decoration, they're the backbone of truth, trust, and emotional connection in journalism. In this exclusive interview, NPPA Vice President Lauren Steinbrecher and Grady College's M...

Local news is collapsing at an alarming pace — more than 3,500 newspapers have vanished since 2005, with 130 disappearing just last year. In this episode, we interview Tim Franklin and Zach Metzger of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, the researchers behind the 2025 State of Local News report, which paints a dire picture of vanishing watchdogs, expanding news deserts, and a shrinking connection between journalism and the ...

Journalist & best‑selling author Beth Macy returns to the town she once delivered newspapers in to ask: what happens when the civic fabric fractures and no one is left to tell the story? In her new memoir Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America, Macy digs into her hometown of Urbana, Ohio — exploring how the collapse of local news, growing economic despair and social isolation reshaped a community she loved. ...

Local news is changing faster than anyone imagined — and Northwestern University's Medill School just put numbers to the chaos. Its new State of Local News 2025 report reveals a seismic shift: smartphones have overtaken TV, content creators now rival traditional outlets, and only 15% of Americans say they're willing to pay for local journalism. For Medill's Tim Franklin and Stephanie Edgerly, the findings are both a wake-up call an...

What happens when a county government tries to silence its watchdog? In Pender County, North Carolina, officials yanked away the Post and Voice's legal notices — a critical revenue lifeline — not because the paper failed to fulfill its duty, but because it did. Publisher Andy Pettigrew called out backroom deals and ran biting editorial cartoons, prompting the commissioners to strike back. Now, the fight has moved from the courthous...

Polarization isn't just dividing dinner tables anymore — it's turning deadly in the wake of the Charlie Kirk tragedy and now the ICE office shooting in Dallas. The role and responsibility of opinion journalism has never been more scrutinized. That's why we turned to Nicole Russell, one of USA Today's leading conservative voices, who has spent more than a decade writing on politics, culture, and policy. She has also written for The ...

When billion-dollar networks like CBS and ABC cave to political pressure and late-night stars like Colbert and Kimmel get muzzled, what chance does a small-town publisher have? If Washington can bend the most prominent players in media, local newspapers — already stretched thin by lawsuits, advertiser boycotts, and the rise of AI — are staring down an even harsher storm. That's why Bob Corn-Revere, one of America's to...

In a world where speaking out can result in being silenced forever, journalism itself is under attack. Hours before this conversation was taped, commentator and podcaster Charlie Kirk was gunned down at an event at Utah Valley University — a stark reminder that public voices, whether political or journalistic, face real and rising danger. Against that backdrop, Dr. Peter Laufer, world-traveling journalist, author and editor of the ...

When E&P reported on Sept. 2 that Broad + Liberty and Access Network were merging to form the Fideri News Network, the press release generated more questions than answers: What exactly is this new company? How is it structured? Is it truly positioned to become a meaningful player in today's media landscape, or simply a rebranding of existing outlets? To delve deeper into the announcement, E&P sat down with Broa...

Heather Burns has spent three decades breaking barriers in sports journalism — and now she's making history as USA Today's first women's sports editor. From building ESPN's NFL Nation team to championing deeper coverage of women's athletics, Burns brings both experience and passion to the role. "It can't always be cheerleading," she says. "It's also got to be good journalism with integrity." With a new strategy called Studio 9 and ...