Media matters, especially for local communities

Approximately 30 people gathered in the auditorium at the Longmont Museum for the second installment of the Media Matters series on Oct. 30. This segment, titled "Media Matters Part II: The Local Scene," was a followup to a panel on Oct. 9.

That program featured panelists with experience working for larger newspapers who looked at how journalism has changed in recent years, and included Maria Karagianis, former reporter for the Boston Globe who now writes for the Courier.

Part two focused on the present and future state of local news as well as issues of journalistic accountability.

The panel was moderated by Tim Waters, a volunteer for Longmont Public Media, and a member of the Longmont City Council, who created a podcast known as "The Backstory."

Panelists included Macie May, executive editor and general manager of the Longmont Leader; Sergio Angeles, executive director of Longmont Public Media; Biff Warren, co-founder, publisher, and editor of the Left Hand Valley Courier; John Vahlenkamp, managing editor of the Longmont Daily Times-Call; and Sonia Koetting, of the League of Women Voters accountability for public institutions initiative including the Colorado Citizen Observers Pilot Project in Larimer County.

The first hour focused on the panelists sharing insight into their respective journalistic roles and responsibilities to readers. Panelists reminded the audience that freedom of the press is embodied in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and Koetting described the current era of "misinformation and disinformation" as "a threat to democracy."

The final portion was a Q&A during which volunteers collected questions from the audience–many of which concerned local involvement, transparency and journalistic ethics.

"You are our local solutions to keep people informed," said Waters.

But it's complicated keeping the public informed. As many of the panelists pointed out, with the rise of social media and the internet, accessibility to news and information is greater than ever. On the other hand, newsrooms are shrinking, news deserts are growing, and trust in the media is being questioned.

All agreed that the days of large newsrooms have been replaced with online reporting, social media, and volunteer reporters. Warren said the Courier has approximately 20 "citizen journalists" who contribute to the weekly newspaper (online and every fourth week in print), while Vahlenkamp said he has fewer than five reporters on staff at the Times-Call. May said she also must rely on citizens for content.

Koetting described the Colorado Citizen Observers Pilot Project as one tool that may be available to overworked journalists. The project places volunteers at local public meetings to observe and, often, film, which generates additional accountability and an unbiased record of events.

"There's a lot that goes back to the resource problem," said May. "With the reduction of [traditional] news in society and newsrooms becoming smaller, governments, in some cases, have pulled back on what they have to say."

Journalistic integrity was a central point of discussion, both with respect to traditional journalists and citizen journalists who are–intentionally or not–covering events in their local communities.

Vahlenkamp's advice to his reporters is to "be transparent about who you are and what you're doing... report what you know, not what you think you know."

This sparked a discussion about the importance of unbiased reporting and showing both sides of an issue, and whether some counter arguments should be given coverage, especially if those arguments are based in fiction rather than fact.

Warren said, "It's a hard call, but that's part of what we do... If somebody is saying something that is wrong, I probably want to report that someone is saying that in some circumstances."

All panelists agreed that training, unbiased reporting, and balanced research should be reporting standards despite the current environment that news often comes from "anyone with an iphone." Vahlenkamp reminded the audience that "Googling" a subject often results in the Google algorithm providing only stories it thinks you will agree with, rather than "truth."

Warren said he requires reporters to look at both sides of any story as long as facts can be objectively verified. He said journalists can gain the trust of readers and "build consensus in small communities" with balanced reporting.

May observed that such research can be a "a long and winding road" that many journalists may not have the time or training to complete.

Each of the panelists expressed optimism about the future of the industry, and invited the community to take part and contribute.

"We teach our community," said Angeles, referencing the numerous volunteer opportunities Longmont Public Media offers. The others agreed, encouraging attendees to reach out with tips and photos.

"As long as there's an interest in the community, there's going to be someone there to meet that need," said Vahlenkamp. "Clearly there's an interest in this community."

The panel discussion was live-streamed courtesy of Longmont Public Media, and a recording of the discussion is available online.