Inside Political Science #039 – The Press vs. Power

Democracy is evidently changing, and so is the field of journalism. In this episode, Kirby and Todd are joined by Axios’ Senior Contributor and Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship Maragaret Talev to discuss how journalism and democracy go hand-in-hand. The former White House correspondent argues that now, more than ever, many politicians are bypassing the news filter, changing journalism’s role in politics. With evolving forms of media and an overwhelming amount of information, Kirby questions how mainstream news outlets can remain relevant and stay in business. Later, Talev argues that censorship shows the “poor health of democracy.” She emphasizes the idea that it is a personal responsibility to be media literate. The professors agree that local news is crucial to political participation and fostering a deep sense of community. Despite the crisis facing journalism and democracy, Talev says there is hope for a brighter future. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.