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Think & Drink: Breaking News - The State of American Journalism

Think & Drink events are hosted conversations at pubs and tasting rooms on provocative topics and new ideas.

Journalism plays a vital role in a democracy---a free press is among the first institutions to be gutted in an autocracy, and a thriving press is a sign of civic health. But dramatically falling revenue, the decimation of smaller newspapers, and an increasing reliance on the whims of a few social media companies for reach has thrown the industry into turmoil.

Worse, public trust in journalists has become deeply polarized. According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 72% of Democrats say they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. Republicans? 14%.

Are journalists simply neutral fact-finders, or is there good reason for this mistrust? Does the media lean liberal? Are the struggles journalists face just growing pains as they adjust to a new digital age, or signs of a slow death? How seriously should we take some of President Trumps threats to journalists? Should we fear censorship or First Amendment curtailments?

Join us as we examine the state of the news, featuring: government editor of the Spokesman-Review, Jonathan Brunt; journalist and Gonzaga University professor, Tracy Simmons; and professor and chair of Gonzaga University's Integrated Media Department, Susan English.

This event is part of our fall statewide series, "Moment of Truth: Journalism and Democracy in an Age of Misinformation."

Founded in 1973, Humanities Washington is the state's flagship non-profit for public humanities programming and an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Humanities Washington would like to thank the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Selinger-Shone Foundation for their support of this initiative, and the Pulitzer Prizes for their partnership.