Given that objective truth is under siege in America and U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized media as the “opposition party,” I’ve been thinking a lot about the role storytellers — particularly journalists — play in today’s fraught political climate.
Is our approach to news still effective (i.e. informing the masses)? If not, how do we go about reengaging the public? And what is our responsibility to the public?
Last month, I hosted a live podcast show called “Unheard Voices” for Work x Work On Air at the Wythe Hotel to discuss this very issue from the perspective of storytellers of color. My panel of guests included Huffington Post Black Voices senior editor Lilly Workneh, filmmaker Dean Marcial and multi-talented creative producer Sahra Nguyen. Listen, below:
And this month, I was a guest on SiriusXM’s “Progress Presents” radio show to talk about the perception of facts in a post-Trump world. My take was this: In order for media institutions to regain the public’s trust, they need to rethink their approach not only to the kinds of stories they report, but also to the way they present their journalism. As Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message. Check it out:
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please sound off in the comments, below. You can also tweet at me, and comment on Facebook.
No Comments