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SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR
EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND FROM VIEWERS
LIKE YOU. ♪[ THEME SONG PLAYING ]♪
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HELLO AND WELCOME TO "LOUISIANA PUBLIC SQUARE."
I'M BETH COURTNEY, PRESIDENT OF LPB AND JOINING US TO MODERATE
TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION ON THE NEWS MEDIA IS A JOURNALIST AND
PROFESSOR AT THE LSU MANCHIN SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION,
BOB MANN. WELCOME BOB.
THANK YOU BETH. AS SOMEONE WHO PREPARES STUDENTS
FOR THIS FIELD I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC AND
IT'S AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS CHANGED -- HAS FACED MAJOR
CHANGES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SINCE 2003, NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING REVENUE HAS DECLINED
BY 52%. IN CABLE NEWS JUST FIVE
COMPANIES CONTROL 84% OF THE MARKET SHARE AND TODAY, 43% OF
THE PUBLIC GETS ITS NEWS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
WELL, IN ADDITION TO INTERNAL CHALLENGES, THE NEWS MEDIA AS AN
INSTITUTION HAS RECENTLY COME UNDER ATTACK FROM PUBLIC FIGURES
AND COMMENTATORS, NOT SURPRISINGLY, MISTRUST OF THE
NEWS MEDIA CONTINUES TO GROW. TONIGHT, WE EXPLORE HOW TO
RESTORE THAT TRUST, WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FAKE AND
REAL NEWS, AND WHAT ROLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS IN BLURRING THAT
DISTINCTION, ALL THIS AND MORE ON NEWS ABOUT THE NEWS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE NEWS MEDIA, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
HAS SEIZED ON A TRADEMARK CATCH PHRASE TO DESCRIBE OUTLETS HE
DISAGREES WITH. YOU ARE FAKE NEWS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRST TWEETED THE WORDS FAKE NEWS IN DECEMBER
OF 2016 AND SINCE THEN HAS USED THE TERM MORE THAN 66 TIMES ON
HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT. DO YOU CRITICIZE JOURNALISTS
FOR HAVING BIAS? FOR NOT COVERING CERTAIN STORIES
ENOUGH? BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING
THAN SAYING THEY'RE FAKE. SO WHEN YOU GO BEYOND JUST
SAYING THEY MIGHT HAVE A LIBERAL BIAS TO SAYING THAT WHAT THEY'RE
DOING IS COMPLETELY MADE UP THAT'S CROSSING A LINE.
THAT'S A DANGEROUS LINE FOR A DEMOCRACY TO CROSS.
HE IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT LSU'S SCHOOL OF
COMMUNICATION. HE SAYS TRUE FAKE NEWS IS AN
INTENTIONALLY FALSE STORY, OFTEN ONLINE.
IT ACTS AS A BAIT TO GENERATE TRAFFIC AND AD REVENUE.
THE SECOND TYPE OF FAKE NEWS IS BASED MORE ON PERCEPTION THAN
ACCURACY. THERE'S ALSO CERTAIN
PROMINENT POLITICIANS AND MEDIA COMMENTATORS WHO ARE ACCUSING
TRADITIONAL JOURNALISM OF BEING FAKE NEWS AND THAT'S AN
IMPORTANT OTHER MEANING OF FAKE NEWS THESE DAYS, ESPECIALLY
BECAUSE IT DOES BLUR THIS LINE OF -- BRING OF THIS QUESTION OF
WHAT IS REAL NEWS? PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DISPLEASURE
WITH THE NATIONAL MEDIA MAY BE SOMEWHAT JUSTIFIED BASED ON HIS
COVERAGE. ACCORDING TO A PEW STUDY, THE
MAJORITY OF NEWS REPORTS ON HIS FIRST 60 DAYS FOCUSED ON HIS
PERSONALITY RATHER THAN HIS POLICY.
TWO THIRDS OF THEM WERE NEGATIVE.
WHATEVER THE CASE HIS CONSTANT ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA HAVE
AFFECTED PUBLIC TRUST, PARTICULARLY SINCE HIS ELECTION.
THE DECLINE IN TRUST PARTICULARLY AMONG REPUBLICANS
HAS BEEN GOING BACK SINCE THE '70s.
AND, IN FACT, FOR DEMOCRATS YOU SEE A PRETTY STEEP JUMP RIGHT
AFTER 2016 WHERE DEMOCRATS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SUDDENLY,
A LOT MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE MEDIA THAN THEY HAD BEEN JUST
SINCE 2015. MICHAEL HENDERSON IS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE LSU PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH LAB.
THE LAB'S STATEWIDE 2018 LOUISIANA SURVEY REVEALED THAT
RESIDENTS' TRUST IN LOCAL MEDIA IS HIGH, 78%, COMPARED TO ONLY
57% OF RESPONDENTS WHO FIND NATIONAL NEWS TRUSTWORTHY.
WHERE WE DID SEE SORT OF A CHINK IN THE ARMOR WHEN IT COMES
TO LOCAL MEDIA HAD TO DO WITH WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE THOUGHT
LOCAL MEDIA -- WHEN COVERING POLITICAL ISSUES IN THE STATE
TREATED ALL SIDES FAIRLY. OR TENDED TO FAVOR ONE SIDE.
AND WE FIND THAT 60% OF PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW,
THE MEDIA DOES TEND TO FAVOR A PARTICULAR SIDE.
WE LET OUR READERS DOWN IF WE'RE NOT FAIR AND BALANCED AND,
YOU KNOW, ALWAYS SAY YOU WANT HALF THE MARKET MAD AT YOU AT
ANY GIVEN TIME BECAUSE THAT MEANS YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB.
[LAUGHS] JUDY IS PRESIDENT OF THE
ADVOCATE, LOUISIANA'S LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER.
SHE SAYS THEIR REPORTERS WORK DILIGENTLY TO INCLUDE DIVERSE
SOURCES AND NOT HAVE PERSONAL BELIEFS BLEED INTO THEIR
COVERAGE. THE PAPER HAS SEEN HISTORIC
GROWTH IN A STRUGGLING INDUSTRY. WE ARE ACTUALLY GROWING
CIRCULATION REVENUE WEEK OVER WEEK, YEAR-OVER-YEAR.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY AN ANOMALY IN OUR BUSINESS.
ACCORDING TO THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER, TOTAL CIRCULATION FOR
U.S. DAILY NEWSPAPERS FELL 8% IN 2016.
THE 28th CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF DECLINES.
JOHN IS SENIOR STAFF WRITER OF THE TIMES.
HE SAYS DECLINING REVENUES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MEDIA MISTRUST.
SMALLER NEWSROOMS, FEWER PEOPLE MAKES FOR MORE MISTAKES,
IT MAKES FOR MORE MISUNDERSTANDING.
YOU'VE GOT ONE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SIX THINGS IN A
DAY WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OR TWO
THINGS IN A DAY. DESPITE THEIR ABILITY TO
OFFER IN-DEPTH COVERAGE, NEWSPAPERS RANK FOURTH AS
AMERICANS' NEWS SOURCE BEHIND TELEVISION, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND
RADIO. NO MATTER THE MEDIUM, GOOD
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING CAN BE EXPENSIVE.
CREATING A STORY, GOING AND DOING ALL THE WORK TO FIND THE
FACTS IS A MORE IMPORTANT PART OF THE OVERALL COSTS OF NEWS.
AND THAT ALSO MEANS THAT SOURCES THAT SKIMP ON THAT HAVE A BIGGER
ADVANTAGE THAN THEY USED TO. SO I THINK NEW MEDIA IS
ACCELERATING THAT TREND. SOCIAL MEDIA IS MORE LIKELY
TO INCLUDE INTENTIONAL FAKE NEWS.
IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 20 FALSE
ELECTION STORIES GENERATED OVER 8 MILLION SHARES, REACTIONS AND
COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK. I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA MAY BLUR
THE LINE BETWEEN FAKE AND REAL NEWS TO SOME EXTENT JUST BECAUSE
REAL NEWS CAN BE PRESENTED ALONGSIDE FAKE NEWS IN THE SAME
FEED, BUT I THINK THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON WHETHER THAT'S THE
CASE IN TERMS OF THE EFFECT ON THE AUDIENCE.
FACEBOOK WILL SOON BE CONDUCTING SURVEYS AMONG ITS
USERS TO RANK NEWS ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSIGN THEM TRUST SCORES.
THE ADVOCATE IS ALREADY USING REALTIME FEEDBACK FROM ITS
ONLINE VIEWERS TO DRIVE COVERAGE.
WE'RE WATCHING THE TRAFFIC ALL DAY LONG ON THOSE STORIES
AND THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH -- READERS ARE VOTING FOR WHAT WE
SHOULD COVER. YOU REALLY HAVE LIMITED
RESOURCES SO YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE.
YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT, AND THEN THAT WILL
DICTATE OUR COVERAGE. FACED WITH A VAST NUMBER OF
NEWS SOURCES, TODAY'S NEWS CONSUMER NEEDS TO BE MUCH MORE
DISCERNING. THAT STARTS WITH NOT JUST
IDENTIFYING WHAT IS FAKE NEWS, BUT WHAT NEWS MATTERS.
NEWS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT WHAT'S NEW AND WHAT'S CHANGING
AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS SOMETIMES THE CASE THAT THAT MEANS
IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE NEGLECTED. IT'S NEVER BEEN CALLED
IMPORTANTS. IT'S BEEN CALLED NEWS.
FASTER NEWS CYCLES MAKE THAT DISTINCTION EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
FOR AUDIENCES TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
SO IT'S UP TO US TO -- AS NEWS CONSUMERS, TO CHOOSE THE OUTLETS
THAT GIVE US OUR VEGETABLES, THAT GIVE US THE IMPORTANT STUFF
WE NEED TO KNOW TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.
WELL, JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE NEWS MEDIA ARE SOME OF THOSE
NEWS CONSUMERS AS WELL AS PRODUCERS.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LOUISIANA PRESS ASSOCIATION AND
RESIDENTS WITH A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS TOPIC.
WE ALSO HAVE THREE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE
YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL. WELCOME EVERYONE.
THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR JOURNALISM AND MEDIA HAS BEEN
CONDUCTING SURVEYS ON THE TRUST IN THE MEDIA FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
ITS 2017 FINDINGS ARE THAT AMERICANS HAVE ONLY MODERATE
TRUST IN MOST NEWS SOURCES. WHEN IT COMES TO NATIONAL NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS, 52% OF RESPONDENTS HAVE SOME TRUST IN
THE CONTENT, BUT JUST 20% GIVING A LOT OF TRUST TO WHAT THEY SEE
AND HEAR FROM NATIONAL NEWS OUTLETS.
LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS FARE SOMEWHAT BETTER.
60% OF CONSUMERS OF LOCAL NEWS TRUST THE CONTENT THEY RECEIVE.
25% TRUST IT A LOT. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE
PERCEIVED FAIRNESS OF THE NEWS MEDIA A STRONG MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS, 72% CONTINUE TO SAY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS TEND TO FAVOR
ONE SIDE IN PRESENTING NEWS ON POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES.
JUST 28% SAY THEY DEAL FAIRLY WITH ALL SIDES.
SO LET'S START THERE. WHERE DO YOU GET THE MAJORITY OF
YOUR NEWS AND DO YOU TRUST WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AND HEARING?
MY NAME IS RALENA, I'M WITH LIAC.
AND AS A FREQUENT SOCIAL MEDIA USER, I SEE ONLY SNIPPETS OF
ARTICLES IN MY FEED AND IT'S NOT UNTIL I MAKE A POINT TO READ THE
FULL NEWS ARTICLE I REALIZE I WAS LEFT WITH A FALSE
IMPRESSION. SO YOU GET MOST OF YOUR NEWS
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA? YES.
ANYBODY ELSE GET MOST OF THEIR NEWS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA?
OKAY. I THINK SO.
I AM A SPRING 2018 GRADUATE FROM SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
KIND OF EXPANDING ON WHAT SHE SHOULD, I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS
MY MAIN SOURCE OF NEWS, BUT IT'S MORE SO OF THE INSTANT FACTOR.
IF BREAKING NEWS OCCURS, YOU IMMEDIATELY GET THAT
NOTIFICATION ON YOUR PHONE, INSTANTLY AND SO I THINK THAT IS
AN ADVANTAGE AS OPPOSED TO WAITING UNTIL THE 5:00 NEWS OR
WAITING UNTIL YOU HEAR IT ON THE RADIO OR ANY OTHER NEWS SOURCE.
NOW, BOTH OF YOU SAY SOCIAL MEDIA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
TWITTER, FACEBOOK, WHEN ARE YOU GETTING IT?
INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER. I HAVE THE NEWS APP FOR MY
PHONE. GETTING IT ONLINE, NOT
NECESSARILY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
YES, SIR. ANYBODY GETTING IT THROUGH A
TRADITIONAL SOURCE? I STILL READ THE SUNDAY
PAPER, BUT ON A WORK DAY WHEN I'M SITTING IN MY OFFICE, I HAVE
THREE MONITORS UP AND ONE OF MY MONITORS IS MY TWITTER FEED AT
ALL TIMES BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO LEGISLATION
LIKE I HAVE TO, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO TO THE ACTUAL WEBSITE
FOR THE ADVOCATE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU NEED TO SEE ELIZABETH CHRIS'S TWEETS ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE OR FROM THE STATE HOUSE.
I NEED TO KNOW AND THE BEST WAY TO FIND THAT OUT IS GENERALLY
THROUGH TWITTER. NOW, LEE, TELL US -- WHEN I
CALLED YOU WHO YOU'RE WITH, AS WELL.
I'M WITH GATEHOUSE MEDIA, PUBLISH SEVEN NEWSPAPERS AROUND
THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND AS A PUBLISHER OF SEVEN NEWSPAPERS
YOU CAN GUESS I READ, LITERALLY, SEVEN NEWSPAPERS PLUS EVERY DAY.
BUT MY CONCERN IS IT'S THE NOTIFICATIONS THAT THEY
MENTIONED. I THINK THOSE NOTIFICATIONS KIND
OF DISTORT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN THE NEWS.
THEY CREATE FALSE URGENCY AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE STORIES BIGGER
THAN THEY REALLY ARE. I HAVE ACTUALLY MADE AN EFFORT
TO GO TURN ALL OF THE NOTIFICATIONS FOR ALL NEWS SITES
OFF ON MY PHONE. I JUST THINK IT'S CREATING A
DISTORTION OF FALSE REALITY THAT WE DON'T REALLY LIVE IN.
DALE? I'M A VOLUNTEER FOR THE
CONVENTION STAGE PROJECT. WE WERE LAUGHING HERE EARLIER,
WE HAD TO TURN OFF OUR PHONES. WE DIDN'T KNOW -- I DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO DO THAT, TURN OFF MY PHONE.
I GET A LOT OF NEWS IN THAT WAY. MAYBE THE CHANNEL 9 APP, MAYBE
THE ADVOCATE'S APP. IT MAY BE ANY OF THOSE NEWS
SOURCES, THEY HAVE SOME OF THOSE NEWS APPS ON THERE.
IT COMES FROM EVERYWHERE. I READ -- I READ THE ADVOCATE
AND I HAVE BEEN READING IT SINCE IT WAS THE MORNING ADVOCATE IN
THE STATE TIMES. BUT I'M SORT OF -- I'M A
CONSUMER, TOTALLY A CONSUMER. I JUST GET IT FROM ALL KINDS OF
SOURCES INCLUDING THINGS LIKE DRUDGE REPORT ONLINE, FOX NEWS,
CNN, ALL OF THAT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT --
TELL US WHERE YOU'RE FROM. SORRY, EYE NAME IS ZOEY, I'M
A STUDENT AT THE SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE NOTIFICATIONS IN THE
SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE HAS THE TIME IN THEIR
DAY TO SIT DOWN AND READ THE NEWSPAPER ALL DAY AND GET THE
INFORMATION IN THAT BIG OF A BLOCK OF TIME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BUSY LIVES, BUT STILL WANT TO BE UP TO DATE,
BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE GET THE CONTEXT FOR
THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE READING, WHETHER IT BE BY
LISTENING TO PUBLIC RADIO OR READING NEWSLETTERS OR SNIPPETS
OF NEWS THAT GIVE MORE CONTEXT TO JUST THE HEADLINES.
SO EVERYBODY'S SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE THEY GET THE NEWS
FROM, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF THE SECOND PART OF
THE QUESTION WHICH WAS DO YOU FIND IT BELIEVABLE, DO YOU FIND
IT CREDIBLE? DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THAT AS WELL? MARSHALL OR MADDIE?
I'M WITH LIAC. I GET MY NEWS FROM THE APPLE
NEWS APP THAT'S ON MY PHONE AND IT WILL FEATURE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT NATIONAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS AND JUST FROM
CLICKING ON MAYBE ONE ARTICLE THAT I FIND WITH AN INTERESTING
TITLE, MY FIRST IMPRESSION ISN'T TO BELIEVE THE FIRST THING THAT
I SEE OR THE FIRST ARTICLE. I LIKE TO FACT CHECK EVERYTHING
THAT I READ WITH MAYBE THREE OR FOUR OTHER ARTICLES TO MAKE SURE
THAT WHAT I'M READING FROM ONE NEWS ORGANIZATION ISN'T EITHER
BIASED OR GIVING ME A FALSE INFORMATION.
VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD. MARSHALL?
I'M MARSHALL MILLS WITH THE LOUISIANA FAMILY FORUM.
AND I WOULD SAY MOST OFTEN I WATCH NEWS IN THE MORNING WHEN I
WAKE UP, OFF OF THE TELEVISION. OCCASIONALLY I LISTEN TO THE
RADIO AND I SAY THAT'S WHAT I TRUST MOST.
PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE TALK SHOW HOSTS, THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO
BRING UP FACTS AND STATISTICS, ACTUALLY BRING UP REAL NEWS AND
REALLY IMPACT THAT, DISCUSS IT WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE AND MAKE
SURE IT'S REALLY THE MOST TRUE INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE.
OKAY. ELIZABETH?
I'M ELIZABETH WEST WITH THE GAZETTE AND I DEFINITELY GET MY
NEWS FROM THE A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS AND IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR US, WORKING FOR A SMALLTOWN NEWSPAPER BECAUSE WE DO HAVE
SUCH A SMALL STAFF THAT SOMETIMES, WE JUST DON'T HEAR
ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON SO WHEN WE GET THOSE
NOTIFICATIONS ON OUR PHONES, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CHECK INTO IT AND
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS LOCAL, SOMETHING THAT OUR PEOPLE NEED
TO READ ABOUT AND WE'VE NOTIFIED ABOUT IT AS WELL AND WE CAN PUT
A STORY IN OUR NEWSPAPER FOR THEM.
VERY GOOD. I'M LIKE ELIZABETH.
YOU HAVE TO READ -- YOU HAVE TO WATCH TELEVISION, READ
NEWSPAPERS, READ WHAT'S COMING OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE AS A
LOCAL NEWSPAPER EDITOR, YOU HAVE TO FIND STUFF THAT IS LOCAL AND
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU GO ON THESE WEBSITES, NOT ALL OF THE
NEWS IS REAL NEWS, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO START CHECKING ON IT AND
MAKING SURE WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S NOT.
TELL US WHO YOU ARE. I'M WITH LSU SCHOOL OF MASS
COMMUNICATION AND I MOSTLY GET MY NEWS THROUGH APPLICATIONS IN
MY PHONE OR I GO ONLINE. WHAT DO YOU READ ON YOUR
PHONE? WHAT NEWS ORGANIZATION?
ALL OF THE LOUISIANA NEWSPAPERS AND MOSTLY READ THE
ADVOCATE AND THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE AND I REALLY
TRUST THESE MEDIAS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PART OF THE NEWS BUREAU AND
I'VE SEEN THE WORK OF THE JOURNALISTS, I SEE HOW THEY'RE
COVERING THE COMMUNITIES AND I'VE SEEN THE PROCESS AND HOW
THEY'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THE NEWS SO I DEVELOPED A TRUST IN
JOURNALISM THIS WAY SO I CAN SAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT I READ FROM
LOCAL NEWSPAPERS IS SOMETHING THAT I DO HAVE TO FACT CHECK, OF
COURSE, WITH OTHER LOUISIANA PUBLICATIONS, BUT I CAN SAY THAT
I HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF TRUST IN LOCAL JOURNALISM.
GREAT. RICHARD?
RICHARD FLICKER, I'M A PSYCHOLOGIST AND I'M A FACULTY
AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. I GET MY SOURCES FROM
EVERYWHERE, NEWSPAPERS, TELEVISION, LOCAL AND NATIONAL
NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA. I TRUST THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL
NEWS AND THE NEWSPAPERS FAR MORE THAN I TRUST SOCIAL MEDIA.
DO THEY MAKE MISTAKES? ARE THERE INACCURACIES IN THE
LEGITIMATE NEWS SOURCES? ABSOLUTELY, HAVING RUN FOR
POLITICAL OFFICE AND BEEN MISQUOTED DRASTICALLY, I KNOW
THERE ARE ERRORS. BUT I TRUST THE NEWS, THE
LEGITIMATE NEWS SOURCES. I KNOW HOW TO DISTINGUISH
BETWEEN A JOURNALIST AND A COMMENTATOR WHERE MOST OF THE
COMMENTATORS ARE THERE TO AGITATE AND STIR UP THE AUDIENCE
AND JOURNALISTS HOPEFULLY ARE TRYING TO REPORT ACCURATE NEWS
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL SOURCES.
IF YOU'RE ONLY GETTING IT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, TALK RADIO OR ANY
ONE SOURCE I THINK YOU'RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE.
A BALANCED DIET, RIGHT? EXACTLY.
HAS ANYONE ENCOUNTERED WHAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER FAKE NEWS OR
BEEN TAKEN IN BY FAKE NEWS IN SOME WAY?
IS THAT SOMETHING -- YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD DALE?
ESPECIALLY ON FACEBOOK. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH WHAT
YOU SEE. I'VE CLICKED ON A FEW THINGS AND
A FRIEND WILL CLICK BACK AND SAY CHECK THIS OUT, THIS IS NOT
RIGHT AND I'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH SOME OF MY FRIENDS.
IT DOES HAPPEN. I GET MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
BIASED NEWS THAN THE FAKE NEWS. IT'S NOT USUALLY THE FACTS IT'S
HOW YOU PACKAGE IT AND WHAT AGENDA ARE YOU TRYING TO PORTRAY
WHEN YOU WRITE THE NEWS? THAT'S WHAT I'M MORE CONCERNED
ABOUT SOMEONE SOMETHING THAT'S FLAT WRONG.
YOU CAN CHECK THAT STUFF. I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
ECHO CHAMBER THAT THESE NEWS AGGREGATORS AND FACEBOOK CREATE
BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE READING AND THEY FEED YOU
MORE OF THAT AND YOU END UP READING ONE SIDE, ONE DIRECTION
AND THE REST OF IT OUTSIDE, IT GETS -- IT GETS PUSHED OUT.
A GREAT EXAMPLE IS MYSELF. I READ A COUPLE OF ARTICLES ON A
NEWS AGGREGATION APP THAT I USE ABOUT THE ROYAL WEDDING AND
SUDDENLY, I'M GETTING BOMBARDED ABOUT STORIES ABOUT THE ROYAL
WEDDING. I REALLY WASN'T THAT INTERESTED,
BUT THE LOGARITHM DECIDED I WAS AND IT FED ME ALL DAY.
YOUR ADVICE WOULD BE GET OFF THOSE AGGREGATORS, GET OFF
SOCIAL MEDIA. GO TO THE PICAYUNE APP.
ABSOLUTELY. ANYBODY ELSE ENCOUNTER FAKE
NEWS? MATT?
MATT BAILEY, I LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS, I'M A NATIVE OF GINA,
LOUISIANA. JUST FOLLOWING UP, YOU KNOW,
WITH THE APPS THAT GIVE YOU MORE OF WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SHOWN AN
INTEREST IN, AND THINKING ABOUT LOCAL NEWS AND LOOKING AT THOSE
STATS THAT HALF OF PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS FROM TELEVISION AND
WE WATCH TELEVISION ORIGINS AND IT SEEMS THAT IN TERMS OF
KEEPING PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, THE TELEVISION NEWS NEEDS TO KEEP
YOUR ATTENTION AND IT SEEMS LIKE HOW THEY'VE LEARNED TO DO THAT
IS MY SHOWING ALL THE SHOOTINGS THAT HAPPENED, ALL THE MAJOR CAR
WRECKS, ANYTHING THAT HAS A NICE VISUAL IS WHAT YOU SEE, AND THEN
THEY MAY GIVE ONLY A FEW MINUTES TO IMPORTANT BUSINESS HAPPENING
AT THE CAPITOL. YEAH, YEAH.
THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR
THIS PORTION OF OUR SHOW. WHEN WE RETURN WE'LL BE JOINED
BY A PANEL OF EXPERTS TO FURTHER DISCUSS NEWS ABOUT THE NEWS.
♪♪ ♪♪
WELCOME BACK TO "LOUISIANA PUBLIC SQUARE."
TONIGHT, WE'RE DISCUSSING THE NEWS MEDIA AND JOINING US NOW IS
OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS. SHE CAME TO THE SCHOOL OF MASS
COMMUNICATION IN 2015 AFTER NEARLY 40 YEARS AS A REPORTER
AND EDITOR FIRST FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND LATER FOR THE
NEW YORK TIMES. HE TEACHES A SPECIAL CLASS ON
MEDIA MANIPULATION AND FAKE NEWS.
HE HAS WORKED WITH THE TIMES PICAYUNE NEWSPAPER IN NEW
ORLEANS SINCE 1987, FIRST AS A REPORTER, AND NOW AS AN
EDITORIAL WRITER AND COLUMNIST FOR NOLA.COM.
HE WAS AWARDED A PULITZER PRIZE FOR COVERAGE OF HURRICANE
KATRINA. PETER HAS BEEN A NEWSPAPER
EDITOR IN LOUISIANA FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
HE JOINED THE ADVOCATE IN 2013 AND HELPED EXPAND ITS REACH IN
LOUISIANA BY LAUNCHING SEPARATE NEWSPAPERS, SERVING NEW ORLEANS
AND ACADIANA AS WELL AS MORE THAN A DOZEN WEEKLY TITLES AND
AN LSU PROFESSOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA
ANALYSIS AND CREATION LAB. PORTER HAS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL
MEDIA SINCE 1995 WHEN HE BUILT HIS FIRST COMMERCIAL WEBSITE.
HIS RESEARCH FOCUSESSEN EMERGING MEDIA AND POWER.
SO BEFORE WE GO TO OUR AUDIENCE QUESTIONS, IF EACH OF OUR
PANELISTS WOULD TELL US FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE SHOULD THE
PUBLIC TRUST THE NEWS MEDIA? I WOULD SAY GENERALLY, YES.
THEY SHOULD TRUST THE NEWS MEDIA, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON
THE DETAILS. WHAT NEWS MEDIA?
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF CABLE TV. I'M AFRAID THAT CABLE TV IS THE
ROOT OF A LOT OF OUR PROBLEMS TODAY.
I'M NOT A FAN OF SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH I THINK IS AS A NEWS MEDIA
SOURCE IS ALSO A DEFICIENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION.
I THINK BOTH CAN DO GOOD WORK AND CAN DO -- AND PROVIDE GOOD
SERVICES, BUT IN TERMS OF TRUSTWORTHY FACTUAL NEWS
INFORMATION AND CONTEXT, THEY COME UP SHORT.
I THINK GENERALLY YOU SHOULD TRUST THE PROCESS.
YOU SHOULD TRUST THOSE REPORTERS WHO HAVE EDITORS TO REPORT TO.
YOU SHOULD TRUST THOSE PUBLICATIONS THAT ARE HONEST
ABOUT THE ERRORS THEY'VE MADE. YOU SHOULD TRUST THOSE SOURCES
THAT ACTUALLY ARE OPEN ABOUT WHO THEIR SOURCES ARE AND I THINK
WHEN YOU PUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER THEN YOU TEND TO HAVE A
MORE TRUSTWORTHY PRODUCT THAN SOURCES THAT ARE MYSTERIOUS,
THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION
FROM. YOU CAN'T EVER EXPECT THEM TO
ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING THEY'VE DONE WRONG.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO TRUST IS THE PROCESS.
OKAY, I AM QUOTING THIS PERSON ACCURATELY.
IF I MISREPRESENT THEM, I CORRECT IT.
I AM TELLING YOU WHO MY SOURCES WERE.
I HAVE EDITORS WHO ARE GOING TO CHECK ME.
I HAVE COPY EDITORS WHO ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE MY THINGS ARE
CORRECT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU OUGHT TO
TRUST. I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS A
BETTER APPRECIATION THAN PEOPLE REALIZE THAT THE ACCURACY OF
MEDIA IS TIERED AND THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT OUGHT TO BE
MORE TRUSTWORTHY THAN OTHERS. AND OUR AIM AT THE ADVOCATE IS
TO BE AT THE TOP OF THAT PYRAMID AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCES THAT
TELL US THAT PEOPLE SEE US THAT WAY.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CALL UP, THEY SEND US A NOTE OR MY COUSIN SAW
ON THE INTERNET THAT MARTIANS LANDED ON THE HEWIE LONG BRIDGE
AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE AND IT'S ANNOYING TO TAKE
THOSE INQUIRIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S REASSURING BECAUSE IT
TELLS ME THAT PEOPLE HAVE TRUST IN THE ADVOCATE AND THAT THEY
RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA THAT MIGHT OR
MIGHT NOT BE RELIABLE AND THEY WANT A HIGHER LEVEL MEDIA, A
MORE ACCURATE, RESPONSIBLE, ESTABLISHED MEDIA TO TELL THEM
WHETHER SOMETHING IS OR ISN'T TRUE AT CRITICAL MOMENTS AND
WHAT COULD BE MORE CRITICAL THAN HAVING MARTIANS ON THE HEWIE
LONG BRIDGE? DR. PORTER.
SO CERTAINLY YOU SHOULD TRUST CERTAIN TYPES OF MEDIA, BUT I
THINK WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT IN TODAY'S NEWS MEDIA ENVIRONMENT,
MOST OF OUR NEWS IS BEING ACCESSED THROUGH NEWSFEEDS AND
MOST OF THOSE NEWSFEEDS ARE CURATED BY ALGORITHMS AND WHAT
WE KNOW FROM PAST RESEARCH IS THAT PEOPLE TEND TO CLICK ON
NEGATIVE STUFF. AND THROUGH A NEWS FEED ON A
SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU ARE GETTING SORT OF A BIASED VIEW OF THE
NEWS AND MORE OF A NEGATIVE VIEW THAN HOW THINGS REALLY ARE.
OKAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR STUDIO
AUDIENCE NOW FOR QUESTIONS TO THE PANELISTS AND WE'RE GOING TO
START FIRST WITH MADELEINE WHO DID NOT GET A QUESTION IN THE
FIRST PART OF OUR SHOW, BUT IF YOU'LL TELL US YOUR FULL NAME
AND YOUR AFFILIATION, PLEASE. I'M MADELEINE WITH LIAC.
SO I THINK BEFORE WE CAN REALLY FIND A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM WE
SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHERE IT'S STEMMING FROM AND THE ROOT CAUSE
OF IT. SO DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IT'S
CORPORATIONS WHO ARE PERPETUATING A SYSTEM IN WHICH
JUSTINS -- JOURNALISTS ARE EXPECTED TO LIE TO FIT A
NARRATIVE OR IS IT THOSE JOURNALISTS THAT ARE CAUSING IT
THEMSELVES AND HOW DO WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE?
WHAT'S DANGEROUS IS SYSTEMS IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE REWARDED
FINANCIALLY FOR THE AMOUNT OF MEDIA, THE AMOUNT OF DIGITAL
TRAFFIC THEY GET. I MEAN, TO ME THAT'S A SYSTEM
FOR COMPROMISING WHAT JOURNALISTS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
AND, YOU KNOW, THE TRUTH IS IF YOU -- IF YOU OPERATED A NEWS
SITE AND YOU WANTED TO GET MORE TRAFFIC, YOU WOULD GET MORE
TRAFFIC BY OPERATING A PORN SITE SO IF PEOPLE WERE INCENTIVIZED
TO BEHAVE THAT WAY, EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING WOULD BECOME A PORN
SITE. SO I THINK IT'S A DANGEROUS -- I
THINK IT'S A DANGEROUS THING TO REWARD PEOPLE THAT WAY.
AND ALSO AS A BUSINESS MODEL, IT HASN'T HISTORICALLY WORKED
BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF AD REVENUE THAT YOU GET FOR THOSE CLICKS --
DIGITAL AD RATES ARE VERY LOW SO YOU MAY GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC,
BUT YOU DON'T REALLY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.
ANYBODY ELSE? I THINK I HEAR YOU ASKING ARE
PEOPLE BEING ENCOURAGED TO BE FALSE AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S
THE CASE. I THINK AS PETER SAID THAT THERE
IS A PERVERSE MOTIVATION THAT CAN BE BUILT INTO A SYSTEM WHERE
YOU WANT THE MOST ATTENTION AND IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE
TO THE NUMBER OF CLICKS YOU COULD GET.
IT COULD COME FROM THE DESIRE TO BE FIRST.
IT COULD COME FROM A DESIRE -- I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT MY STORY
IS OUT THERE BEFORE MY COMPETITOR'S STORY.
THAT COULD PRODUCE SLOPPINESS. THAT COULD PRODUCE CARELESSNESS.
I DO THINK THERE ARE THINGS IN THE BUSINESS MODEL WHETHER IT'S
INTERNET OR MORE TRADITIONAL MEDIA THAT RESPONSIBLE
JOURNALISTS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE OKAY THIS IS A
WEAK SPOT. THIS IS A VULNERABILITY AND I
HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO SUCCUMB TO IT, BUT WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DELIBERATELY SETTING OUT TO BE
FALSE AND TO BE FRAUDULENT, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY IN ANY
OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH COULD REPORT
OF ANYBODY WHO WAS DELIBERATELY TRYING TO PUT STUFF OUT TO THE
PUBLIC THAT THEY KNEW TO BE FALSE.
I WOULD SAY THAT I DON'T SEE THAT IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA
PER SE, ALTHOUGH I DO SEE SOME OF IT IN CABLE.
I THINK CABLE DOES ENCOURAGE A TILTING AGAINST A PARTICULAR
POINT OF VIEW OR ADVOCATING A PARTICULAR POINT OF VIEW.
AND I THINK IT PLAYS OUT ON THEIR WEBSITES, AS WELL.
I DO THINK WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AS JARVIS ALLUDED TO, THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO PUBLISH FAKE NEWS, GENERATE FAKE NEWS, WRITE FAKE
NEWS, DREAM UP FAKE NEWS FOR PROFIT.
AND THEY'RE ALL OVER THE WORLD. THERE IS FOR-PROFIT FAKERY OUT
THERE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE SOCIAL PLATFORMS
AND SOMETIMES CABLE'S SPIN I THINK CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LACK OF
TRUST IN THE MEDIA. I WOULD SAY FOR YEARS, SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS WERE DESIGNED TO FEED YOU MORE OF WHAT YOU'RE
INTERACTING WITH, WITH NO REGARD TO WHETHER IT'S TRUE OR NOT.
SO THOSE CORPORATIONS CERTAINLY HAVE A FAULT IN THE SYSTEM THAT
WE HAVE NOW AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIX THAT AT THIS POINT.
I WANT TO BRING YOU IN. YOU DID NOT ASK A QUESTION
EARLIER, BUT IF YOU'LL TELL US YOUR NAME.
I'M DREW WHITE. I'M WITH THE LSU STATE HOUSE
BUREAU AT THE CAPITOL. WE WORK AS A WIRE SERVICE TO ALL
THE LOCAL PAPERS IN LOUISIANA. THEY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN
GO UP AND REPORT AT THE CAPITOL SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WRITE
STORIES AND SEND THEM OUT TO THE LOCAL PAPERS IN THE STATE.
SO WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION FOR THE PANELISTS?
MY QUESTION WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE AGE OF THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY, HOW HAS TRUMP DIFFERED FROM FORMER POLITICIANS
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, EARLY LONG WHEN IT COMES TO ATTACKING THE
PRESS? LIKE I KNOW HEWIE AND EARL
ATTACKED THE TIMES PICAYUNE WAY BACK IN THE DAY.
I HE TEAMED TO BE A PRETTY VOCAL CRITIC OF THE TIMES PICAYUNE
THEN, BUT JUST HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED AND HOW IS TRUMP
DIFFERENT? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT
QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I WOULD SAY THERE'S -- THERE'S A LOT OF ALARM ABOUT WHAT TRUMP IS
DOING AND HE'S CERTAINLY EFFECTIVELY USING NEW TECHNIQUES
TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T SEE IT AS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM
WHAT RICHARD NIXON DID WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND NOT FUNDAMENTALLY
DIFFERENT FROM WHAT, YOU KNOW -- FROM WHAT THE LONGS DID AND, YOU
KNOW -- AND THE TRUTH IS THAT EVENTUALLY, RICHARD NIXON -- IN
A WAY THE MEDIA BEAT RICHARD NIXON AND IN A WAY RICHARD NIXON
EXPLODED HIMSELF BY -- DINT OF HIS CONTEMPT FOR THAT.
I'M LESS WORRIED THAN PEOPLE GENERALLY ARE IN THE MEDIA ABOUT
WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS DOING. I WOULD TAKE A SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT TACK. I THINK ALL OF THIS THAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S THE LONGS, TRUMP OR NIXON TO A
LESSER DEGREE, IT'S A -- IT'S A WAVE OF POPULISM AND WE'VE HAD
THIS IN THE COUNTRY A LOT. THERE ARE -- YOU CAN ARGUE THAT
BERNIE SANDERS HIMSELF WAS A DIFFERENT FORM OF POPULISM.
AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTING OR ADVANTAGEOUS TO
TILT AGAINST ESTABLISHMENT FOLKS AND ESTABLISHMENT INSTITUTIONS
LIKE THE MEDIA. I THINK WHAT IS DANGEROUS WITH
TRUMP IS THAT HE HAS TAKEN ON A LEVEL OF CRITICISM ABOUT FIRST
AMENDMENT FREEDOMS, ABOUT PRESS FREEDOMS, ABOUT THE RIGHT FOR
REPORTERS TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND THAT -- AND THAT KIND OF
ANTAGONISM OR OPPOSITION TO THE PRESS, THE AIDES REFER TO THE
PRESS AS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, IS VERY DANGEROUS.
AND JUST TODAY AT AN EPA EVENT WITH SCOTT PRUITT, THE
A.P. AND CNN WERE BARRED ENTRY. THAT IS MORE PROBLEMATIC I THINK
THAN ANY FAKE NEWS PROCLAMATION COMING FROM THE PRESIDENT, WHEN
YOU HAVE REPORTERS TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB, TRYING TO GET
INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE ARMED SECURITY SAYING
THAT THEY CANNOT COME TO HEAR WHAT A CABINET OFFICIAL HAS TO
SAY. SO I ALSO THINK TRUMP IS
UNIQUE IN HOW HE HAS USED SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT'S DIFFERENT THAN ANY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT
WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. HE'S THE FIRST CANDIDATE TO USE
IT AS AN ATTACK MECHANISM AND SO THAT REALLY PLAYS INTO HOW
SOCIAL MEDIA WORKS AND THE FACT THAT NEGATIVE INFORMATION IS
PRIORITIZED. SO IT'S AN EFFECTIVE THING THAT
HE'S BEEN DOING WITH IT. DALE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK A
QUESTION? YES, I CAN FOLLOW-UP ON WHAT
Y'ALL ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT. DON'T YOU THINK THE FAKE NEWS
MONIKER THAT TRUMP HAS PUT ON IT WOULDN'T HAVE ANY TRACTION
UNLESS THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE
HIM? THAT DO THINK THERE IS FAKE
NEWS? FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE
THINGS -- ONE OF THE GUYS FROM LSU IN THE CLIP BEFORE THE SHOW
HERE TODAY SAID THAT SINCE THE 1970s AND 1980s, REPUBLICANS
ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE HAVE GROWN LESS AND LESS ENCOURAGED
BY WHAT THEY SEE IN THE PRESS AND WE SEE THE RISE OF THINGS
LIKE DRUDGE REPORT AND RUSH LIMBAUGH.
DOESN'T THAT SUGGEST THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE NORMAL MEDIA
IS LOSING SOME CREDIBILITY WITH AMERICANS?
I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ANSWER THAT WOULD BE TO
REFERENCE A BOOK BY JOSHUA COOPER RAMO CALLED THE SEVENTH
SENSE. AND HE MAKES AN ARGUMENT THAT
ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE LOSING CREDIBILITY, WHETHER IT'S
CONGRESS, WHETHER IT'S THE MEDIA, YOU NAME AN INSTITUTION
THAT HAS HAD A LONG REPUTATION OR HALLOWED REPUTATION IN THE
UNITED STATES AND IT'S LOSING CREDIBILITY.
PART OF THAT IS OUR CONNECTEDNESS, WHERE EVERYBODY
IS AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING AND YOU CAN PRESENT YOURSELF AS AN
EXPERT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I MEAN, I THINK TRUMP IS
EXPLOITING PEOPLE'S GULLIBILITY, AND I THINK HE'S EXPLOITING
PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS TO BELIEVE ANYTHING COMING FROM THEIR SIDE.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT MAKES SENSE OR NOT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT STANDS UP TO REASON OR NOT.
MY GUY IS SAYING IT OR MY PERSON IS SAYING IT, THEREFORE I'M
GOING TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE AND I'M GOING TO MAKE IT BE TRUE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF ANY MEDIA
FAILING. I THINK IT'S A CONSEQUENCE OF
JUST AN INCREASED PARTISANSHIP THAT HE'S JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE
OF. ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT
THE MEDIA WAS WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND WHAT THE MEDIA IS NOW IS
ROOTED IN TECHNOLOGY AND WHEN I WAS YOUNG, THERE WERE A
RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF MEDIA COMPANIES.
THEY TO SOME DEGREE OPERATED AS MONOPOLIES.
THE WALTER CRONKITE WAS THE NEWSCASTER ON CBS WAS CALMED THE
MOST TRUSTED MAN IN AMERICA. I DON'T THINK AMERICANS COULD
EVEN AGREE ON WHO THE MOST TRUSTED MAN IN AMERICA WAS
TODAY, BUT THESE WERE BIG COMPANIES.
THEY HAD VERY LITTLE COMPETITION.
THEY WERE VERY PROFITABLE. THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIBLE AND
VERY PROFESSIONAL. THEY PAID WELL.
THEY COULD AFFORD TO BE ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT WAS WHAT THE MEDIA WAS. NOW, THE MEDIA IS ANYBODY WHO
KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A WEBSITE, YOU KNOW.
ANYBODY WHO CALLS A TALK RADIO SHOW.
IN A WAY THE PRESIDENT IS THE MEDIA.
HE HAS A FOLLOWING ON A MEDIA OUTLET, TWITTER, AND HE'S LIKE A
MOUNTAIN GENERATING ITS OWN WEATHER WITH THE WAY HE CREATES
NEWS. AND SO YOU KNOW, FROM MY POINT
OF VIEW AND I WAS LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THE LENS OF AN
ESTABLISHED MEDIA COMPANY IN OUR STATE, THE BIGGEST NEWSPAPER IN
OUR STATE, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THESE STATISTICS ABOUT LOSS OF
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE MEDIA, YOU KNOW, ARE ABOUT NEW FORMS OF
MEDIA THAT DIDN'T EXIST AND NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE FORMS OF MEDIA
THAT HAVE EXISTED IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, FOR HALF A
CENTURY OR A CENTURY. AND SO I THINK THE POLLING THAT
YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF REFLECTS THAT.
YOU HAVE NEW OUTLETS THAT DIDN'T EXIST WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND WHOSE
BUSINESS MODEL IS NOT ROOTED IN THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW,
RESPONSIBLE CONSENSUS NEWS. IT'S ROOTED IN THE IDEA OF
SENSATIONALISM OR HATE MONGERING.
IF YOU WATCH -- YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CABLE NEWS.
IF YOU WATCH CABLE NEWS AT NIGHT, WHICH I, BY THE WAY,
DON'T DO, I WATCH BASEBALL, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THERE WAS A
CRISIS IN AMERICA EVERY MINUTE AND THERE ISN'T A CRISIS IN
AMERICA EVERY MINUTE. YOU KNOW, AMERICA HAS ITS
PROBLEMS, BUT IT'S A STRONG, SECURE COUNTRY.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE HALF THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WOULD MOVE
TO IN A HEARTBEAT IF THEY COULD. BUT THAT DOESN'T SELL.
WHAT SELLS IS MAKING EVERYTHING INTO A CRISIS.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING JOURNALISTS AND YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE LOOKING TO ENTER THE MEDIA?
MY ADVICE HASN'T MUCH CHANGED.
EVEN THOUGH THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED, PETER'S RIGHT, EVEN
THOUGH THE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED, PETER'S RIGHT.
EVEN THOUGH THE COMPETITION HAS CHANGED.
MY ADVICE STILL TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE JOURNALISTS IS TO
WRITE. REPORT AND WRITE AND REPORT AND
WRITE AND GO TO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN REPORT AND WRITE AND GET
GOOD SUPERVISION. THE BEST THINGS IN THE -- IN THE
TRADITIONAL MODEL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN EXPLODED A BIT, IS YOU
GO TO A PLACE -- I WOULD SAY JOURNALISM EDUCATION IS THE WAY
WE TEACH IT, BUT IT'S ALSO AN APPRENTICE MODEL MEANING YOU GO
TO A SMALL PAPER AND THERE'S PLENTY OF THEM IN THE STATE,
SMALLER BY THE DAY, BUT YOU GO -- THERE'S PLENTY OF
NEWSROOMS TO GO TO, TO COVER THE TOWN AND COVER A COMMUNITY
MEETING AND COVER AN OFFICIAL MEETING AND THAT KIND OF THING
AND LEARN HOW TO ASSEMBLE FACTS, HOW TO TELL A NARRATIVE, BUILD A
NARRATIVE, HOW TO TELL A STORY AND LOOK AT ALL SIDES OF AN
ISSUE, AND THEN FROM THERE, BUILD FORWARD WITH FEATURES AND
ENTERPRISE. I STILL THINK THAT THAT'S --
THAT'S THE WAY TO GO. IT'S REALLY HARD NOW BECAUSE
THERE ARE FEWER AND FEWER JOBS AND MORE AND MORE OF THESE
PLACES ARE NO LONGER TEACHING HOSPITALS THE WAY IT WAS WHEN I
GOT OUT OF SCHOOL. WELL, PRACTICED JOURNALISM IS
SELF-CORRECTING AND THERE'S NO EXPERIENCE MORE FRIGHTENING WHEN
YOU'RE YOUNG THAN, YOU KNOW, WRITING A STORY ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE POLICE JURY THAT'S NOT FLATTERING AND HAVING
TO GO SEE THE GUY TOMORROW AND ASK QUESTIONS FOR ANOTHER STORY.
AND THAT'S -- THAT'S A PROCESS THAT'S SELF-CORRECTING.
AND IT FORCES YOU TO LEARN TO BE FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE AND IF
YOU'RE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY, WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY,
PEOPLE LOOK AT YOUR WORK AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE PRESIDENT OF
THE POLICE JURY LOOK AT YOUR WORK AND THE PEOPLE WHO THINK
HE'S A CROOK LOOK AT YOUR WORK AND THEY ALL OFFER YOU
CRITICISMS ABOUT WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE PUT IN THERE OR WHAT YOU
SHOULD HAVE SAID OR WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED, AND I THINK
THE GREATEST LEARNING LABORATORY IS, YOU KNOW, LEARNING FROM, YOU
KNOW, WHEN YOU WRITE SOMETHING OR WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING ON
TELEVISION, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY TAKING A POSITION ON WHAT YOU'VE
DECIDED IS THE TRUTH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN SOME WAYS LIKE
WRITING A PAPER IN COLLEGE, AND THEN YOUR POSITION GETS ATTACKED
FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO SAW IT DIFFERENTLY AND YOU LEARN FROM
THAT. AND THAT'S STILL A GREAT
EXPERIENCE. SO YOU KNOW, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
AND DO THAT. I'LL GO TO A MORE GRANULAR
LEVEL. KNOW HOW TO SPELL.
[LAUGHTER] KNOW HOW TO PUNCTUATE A
SENTENCE. AND I'M BEING COMPLETELY SERIOUS
HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE LAUGHING.
I THINK YOU WILL GO FAR JUST BY KNOWING THE BASIC MECHANICS OF
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES GETS
OVERLOOKED. ON A VERY, VERY BASIC LEVEL, I
THINK IF YOU HAVE THE MECHANICS DOWN, THE SPELLING DOWN, THE
GRAMMAR DOWN, KNOWING HOW TO WRITE A SENTENCE, KNOWING HOW TO
TELL A SIMPLE STORY, THEN YOU WILL REALLY GO FAR.
AS THE MANAGING EDITOR OF A SMALL LOCAL NEWSPAPER I FIND
THAT IT'S HARD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE OUR READERS GET
NATIONAL NEWS OR HEAR ABOUT NATIONAL NEWS.
SO WHAT IS ONE WAY THAT I COULD ENSURE THAT MY READERS ARE NOT
ONLY GETTING LOCAL NEWS, BUT ALSO SOME NATIONAL NEWS AS WELL?
ON THE WEBSITE OR IN THE PAPER OR BOTH?
THE WEBSITE, THE PAPER IS MOSTLY THE LOCAL NEWS.
WELL, THE FIRST THING YOU CAN DO IS DEPENDING ON WHAT PARTNERS
YOU HAVE, WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY ACCESS TO WIRES, IS YOU CAN
BUILD A DIGEST OR ROUNDUP OF NATIONAL NEWS THAT GIVES PEOPLE
A FEW OF THE BASICS OF WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, RIGHT?
AND IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ASSOCIATED PRESS, WHICH I KNOW
IS NOT IN ALL CASES IN ALL SMALL PAPERS OR YOU MAY HAVE SOME
OTHER PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE WIRE BRIEFS AND TURN
THEM INTO STORIES THAT SHOW -- GIVE PEOPLE A SUMMARY OF THE
MAIN STORIES OF THE DAY, EVEN JUST 10 STORIES.
I THINK YOU SHOULD TRUST YOUR READERS TO KNOW THAT IF THEY
WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET IN WASHINGTON,
THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE STORIES THAT WILL TELL THEM,
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET IN WASHINGTON.
I THINK IF THEY'RE GOING TO YOUR WEBSITE, THEY'RE PROBABLY MORE
INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWN.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY HERE, AND I THINK ONE
OF THE BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY IS WE DO KNOW WHERE TO GO AND HOW
TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PALESTINE RIGHT
NOW, IF THEY'RE COMING TO YOUR SITE, THEY'RE PROBABLY
INTERESTED IN NEWS ABOUT YOUR TOWN.
TO HAVE TRUST IN THE READERS, DO YOU THINK YOUR READERS AND
READERS IN GENERAL AND PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING CABLE NEWS ALL
SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S
OPINION, WHAT'S NEWS, WHAT'S ANALYSIS?
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND THAT'S A TOUGH ORDER BECAUSE IN
THE TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATION OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS YOUNG IN
THE TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE WAY A NEWSPAPER WAS PUT
TOGETHER, OR THE WAY A TELEVISION STATION PRESENTED ITS
NEWS, THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN WHAT WAS NEWS AND WHAT
WAS COMMENTARY ON THE NEWS WAS PRETTY CLEAR AND IF YOU LOOK AT
NEWSPAPERS OR NEWSPAPER WEBSITES YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A
DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN NEWS AND SPORTS AND OPINION AND OTHER
TOPICS, BUT IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARRIVE AT THE NEWS
THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF TIMES FIRST OF ALL, YOU DON'T
KNOW -- YOU SEE SOMETHING AND YOU CLICK THROUGH TO IT AND YOU
DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE CLICKING THROUGH TO, BUT ALSO, YOU DON'T
REALLY TAKE STOCK OF THE FACT THAT THIS WAS LABELED AS AN
OPINION PIECE AND SO THEN YOU CLICK THROUGH TO IT AND YOU SAY
THAT'S AWFULLY OPINIONATED FOR A NEWS STORY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE TRUTH IS IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO BE A
NEWS STORY ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
LANCE, DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA OR ELECTRONIC MEDIA IS
CONTRIBUTING TO THAT? THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS A
COUPLE OF THINGS. CERTAINLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
EVER ARRIVE AT A NEWS STORY. THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT
HEADLINES GOING THROUGH THEIR NEWSFEED AND NOT CLICKING
THROUGH AND SO THEY SEE A HEADLINE AND THAT'S AN OPINION
PIECE, BUT IT'S NOT LABELED AS SUCH, AND I THINK A LOT OF
NEWSPAPERS DO A VERY POOR JOB OF LABELING WHAT END UP IN A NEWS
FEED WHETHER OR NOT IT'S NEWS OR OPINION AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT
LITERALLY ADVERTISING NOW ON A LOT OF MAJOR PUBLICATIONS, WE
JUST DID A STUDY AT LSU AND 30% OF NEWS AUDIENCES COULDN'T TELL
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AD AND A NEWS STORY.
AND I HEARD THAT PRESENTED -- 70% COULD WELL 30% IS A PRETTY
BIG NUMBER SO WE WERE REALLY EYE TRACKING TO SEE AND WE TOLD THEM
TO CLICK ON ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE NEWS AND ALL THE
THINGS THAT WERE ADS AND 30% NEVER CLICKED ON A NATIVE
AUDIENCE. I KNOW AT NOLA.COM ONLINE
EVERY OPINION PIECE HAS "OPINION" IN THE HEADLINE,
RIGHT? AND THAT WAS A DEVELOPMENT
BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION BEFORE AND SOME OF IT
OWES TO SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION WHERE WE WERE
TRYING TO WRITE A HEADLINE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE AND
NOTICE AND WANT TO READ AND SHARE, ETC., ETC.
AND THAT SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION MAY NOT NECESSARILY
FIT SO WELL WITH BIG OLD "OPINION" IN THE HEADLINE, BUT
WE HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE DELIBERATE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS OF PUTTING THAT IN THE HEADLINE BECAUSE TO MY
DISAPPOINTMENT, MANY PEOPLE DID PROFESS CONFUSION MANY TIMES.
WELL, WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS? YOU'RE BIASED.
WELL, OKAY, AN OPINION BY ITS VERY NATURE HAS A BIAS.
SO YES, THAT'S NOT -- THAT DOESN'T INSULT ME BECAUSE I'M
WRITING AN OPINION. BUT IT WAS ALWAYS A CONTINUING
SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE SAYING WELL
THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN OPINION WHEN LIKE YEAH, IT IS AN OPINION.
BUT AS PETER SAID, WHEN IT GETS SHARED, WHEN IT GETS SENT TO
TWITTER, WHEN IT GETS SENT TO FACEBOOK, WHEN SOMEONE IS
EXCERPTING IT AND PUTTING IT WHEREVER IT IS, WE COMPLETELY
LOSE CONTROL OF THAT. SO HOW ARE YOU AND THE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU REPRESENT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO
GET THE ATTENTION AND BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY
WHEN MOST OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
I'LL START WITH THAT, I GUESS.
I JUST FINISHED A CLASS WITH COLLEGE FRESHMEN AND THEY WERE
NOT STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED SO MUCH IN JOURNALISM.
IN FACT, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE CLASS WERE
SCIENCE, MATH, ENGINEERING WOULD-BE MAJORS, INTENDED
MAJORS. BUT THEY HUNGERED FOR JUST THIS.
THERE WAS A GROWING REALIZATION THAT THE SOCIAL PLATFORMS DON'T
PROVIDE ENOUGH CONTEXT AND ENOUGH RELIABLE NEWS AND THEY
WANTED TO KNOW A COUPLE OF THINGS: HOW TO BUILD A MEDIA
DIET, HOW TO LOOK AT JOURNALISM AND ASSESS WHETHER IT WAS OF
GOOD QUALITY OR BAD QUALITY OR INFERIOR QUALITY AND WHAT LIFE
SKILLS I COULD GIVE THEM TO ANALYZE INFORMATION AND SO ONE
OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CARDS
JUST LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED BY THE MANSHIP
SCHOOL ABOUT HOW TO LOOK AT -- HOW TO JUDGE A STORY, WHETHER
THE SOURCING IS ACCURATE AND AUTHORITATIVE, WHETHER THE DATA
IS VERIFIABLE, WHETHER THE PEOPLE WHO ARE QUOTED ARE NAMED,
WHETHER THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT AND IF ANYBODY
WOULD LIKE A COPY, IF THE VIEWERS WOULD LIKE A COPY,
MANSHIP.LSU.EDU AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A VERSION OF THIS,
WHICH FOLDS OUT. I THINK THERE'S A SIMILARITY
TO PAWHOM SAY ABOUT THE MEDIA AND WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT
POLITICIANS AND PEOPLE HAVE A CONTEMPTUOUS VIEW OF
POLITICIANS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THOSE ARE THE POLITICIANS YOU
ELECTED AND IF YOU HAVE A VIEW OF THEM, YOU HAVE THAT VIEW OF
YOURSELF AND YOUR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE YOU PUT THEM IN THERE,
YOU DIDN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE THEIR MONEY CAME FROM, YOU
DIDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN, YOU DIDN'T FIGURE
OUT HOW THEY WOULD VOTE AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING -- THE
SAME THING APPLIES TO THE MEDIA. PEOPLE LOVE TO CRITICIZE THE
MEDIA. THEY SAY OH, I HATE WATCHING THE
TV NEWS BECAUSE IT'S ALL FULL OF VIOLENCE.
WELL, IF IT'S ALL FULL OF VIOLENCE IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE
DISCOVERED THAT YOU'LL WATCH IT IF IT'S ALL FULL OF VIOLENCE AND
SO I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS TO, YOU KNOW -- THE CHALLENGE IS TO
OUR CITIZENS IN THE SAME WAY, WE NEED TO ELECT BETTER
POLITICIANS. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK FOR
AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND PUT IN THE TIME
JUST AS YOU SHOULD IN ELECTING A POLITICIAN TO UNDERSTAND WHERE
YOUR INFORMATION IS COMING FROM AND WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT.
CAN I JUST INTERJECT ONE THING?
I THINK THIS IS THE IMPERATIVE OF OUR AGE, MEANING I THINK
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE OUR OWN EDITORS.
THERE ARE GREAT EDITORS IN THE STATE, PETER RUNS A TERRIFIC
NEWS OPERATION. THE PICAYUNE HAS HAD A LONG
HISTORY OF GREAT JOURNALISM. BUT THAT KIND OF -- THAT KIND OF
EXPERTISE ON THE GROUND IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE SCARCE
AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM ALL SORTS OF
UNTRADITIONAL SOURCES AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, THEY HAVE TO BE
THEIR OWN EDITORS. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE
TEACHING TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO GO INTO JOURNALISM, BUT
WANT TO BE A BETTER NEWS CONSUMER.
HOW DO I GET GOOD INFORMATION AND HOW DO I TRUST IT?
LET'S GO TO SCOTT AND IF YOU'LL REMIND US WHO YOU
REPRESENT, SCOTT. SCOTT, I'M THE GENERAL
COUNSEL TO THE LOUISIANA PRESS ORGANIZATION.
I REPRESENT MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE.
I AM FASCINATED BY THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT FAKE NEWS,
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID
SEVERAL TIMES THAT THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FALSE IDEA,
RIGHT? THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE FIRST
AMENDMENT IS THAT THERE IS A MARKETPLACE AND THAT THERE ARE
TRUE THINGS IN THE MARKETPLACE AND FALSE THINGS IN THE
MARKETPLACE AND SO MY QUESTION FOR THE PANEL IS, ISN'T THE
PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET?
THERE ARE JUST MORE PEOPLE IN THE MARKETPLACE PARTICIPATING
AND THE FAKE NEWS IS ACTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE
ACTUALLY GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH TO WIN PEOPLE TO THEIR SIDE SO
THAT THEY WILL VOTE WITH THEIR FEET AND SUBSCRIBE?
OR GO ONLINE AND READ THE TRADITIONAL NEWS SOURCES THAT
ARE TELLING THE TRUTH? ISN'T THIS PART OF A PROCESS AND
ARE WE JUST KIND OF UBER CONCERNED WITH IT RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE COUNTRY?
IT IS A PROCESS AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN PART OF A PROCESS.
BUT IT'S AMPED UP NOW BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY, THE ECHO CHAMBER
EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THE FILTER BUBBLES, ALL OF THAT, HAS
PUT THIS OUT THERE. I STILL BELIEVE IN THE
MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS. I THINK IT MAY TAKE LONGER THAN
IT USED TO TAKE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY VOICES AS YOU'RE
REFERRING TO, THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE AND THE NUMBER OF
PLAYERS, BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT ULTIMATELY, THE TRUTH DOES
WIN OUT, BUT I THINK THE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS IS STILL
THE FUNDAMENTAL -- THE FUNDAMENTAL CORE OF OUR
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY AND THE ROLE THE PRESS PLAYS IN IT.
WHAT STRUCK ME WHEN PETER WAS TALKING ABOUT WALTER CRONKITE
BEING THE MOST TRUSTED MAN IN AMERICA A GENERATION OR MAYBE
TWO GENERATIONS AGO NOW, WAS HISTORIANS OF JOURNALISMS HAVE
SAID THAT WAS THE EXCEPTION, THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME
THAT JOURNALISM HAS EXISTED IN AMERICA, IT'S BEEN A LOT MORE
LIKE IT IS TODAY THAN IT WAS DURING THE CRONKITE ERA, WHERE
YOU PICK YOUR SIDE AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO I WANT TO SEE.
SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO I THINK HOLD TIGHT AND HOLD FAST
TO THAT CONCEPT THAT EXISTED FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL FLEETING MOMENT
IN TIME, WHERE PEOPLE HAD THIS IDEA OF NON-PARTISAN, FAIR AND
BALANCED, UNBIASED REPORTING, BUT I THINK THE NORM IS FAR, FAR
OUTSIDE OF THAT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT, AND I
THINK THE TRUTH IS THAT FAKE NEWS IS NOT A NEW THING RELATED
TO THE INTERNET. THE SALEM WITCH HUNT WAS FAKE
NEWS. THE GREATEST PIECE OF FAKE NEWS
IN MY LIFETIME WAS KENNEDY ASSASSINATION CONSPIRACY
THEORIES AND ALL OF THAT GAVE RISE BEFORE THE INTERNET, USING
OTHER TECHNOLOGIES, CHIEFLY BOOK PUBLISHING AND GUYS WRITING
BOOKS AND GOING ON TALK SHOWS AND TALKING ABOUT THE
INCONGRUITIES IN THE WARREN COMMISSION REPORT.
OLIVER STONE MADE A THREE-HOUR MOTION PICTURE, WHICH REALLY
IMPLANTED IN YOUNG PEOPLE'S HEADS THE IDEA THAT THERE WAS A
BIG CONSPIRACY INVOLVING THE CIA AND THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT
TO KILL KENNEDY AND ALL OF THAT IS FAKE NEWS AND ALL OF THAT
FAKE NEWS EXISTED BEFORE THE INTERNET AND POLLS SHOWED -- AND
STILL SHOW THAT MORE PEOPLE THINK THAT THE KENNEDY
ASSASSINATION WAS A VAST CONSPIRACY THAN, YOU KNOW, ONE
KIND OF LOSER WHO, BY THE WAY, WAS BORN IN LOUISIANA WHO SORT
OF WAS A GOOD SHOT AND HAPPENED TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE
RIGHT TIME. AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S
SO DIFFICULT FOR US TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SOMETHING SO
IMPORTANT COULD HAPPEN FROM SUCH A SERIES OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE ARE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME AND THE DISCUSSION IS REALLY
GETTING KICKED OFF. I WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY TO
CHANCE TO MAKE A BRIEF CLOSING REMARK OR COMMENT.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT TO ADD TO KIND OF THIS DISCUSSION HERE
IS THAT WE HAVE THESE MAJOR PLATFORMS NOW THAT ARE IN CHARGE
OF A LOT OF OUR MEDIA INFORMATION.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE AND
FACEBOOK AND THESE ARE NOT COMPANIES THAT HAVE NEWS VALUES
AS PART OF THEIR MISSION STATEMENT.
THEY'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING PROFITS AND SELLING
PRODUCTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS SO THEIR OBJECTIVES ARE
DIFFERENT THAN TRADITIONAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE FACT THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS
FROM THESE PLATFORMS CREATES AN INHERENT CONFLICT, AND IT'S
SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
I GUESS I WOULD SAY THAT NEWS IS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE AND YOU
GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND IF YOU GET FREE NEWS FROM FACEBOOK THEN
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE OUTRAGED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S CRAPPY
AND INACCURATE. IF YOU WANT -- IF YOU WANT FREE
FOOD, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD.
IF YOU WANT FREE HOUSING IT'S NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO GET USED TO THE IDEA
THAT IF THEY WANT REAL NEWS THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
THERE'S A DAWNING REALIZATION INCLUDING AMONG THE PEOPLE IN
THIS ROOM THAT WHAT YOU GET IN THE WAY OF FREE NEWS ISN'T
NECESSARILY ACCURATE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHY IT EXISTS AND THE
RUSSIAN ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE OUR ELECTION ARE A PIECE OF
THAT. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT IS ROOTED,
ALL THAT INFORMATION WAS SPREAD TO PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR NEWS FOR
FREE. AND I THINK PEOPLE WILL COME TO
THE REALIZATION THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO COLLEGE AND I'M NOT
SAYING IT'S EXCLUSIVE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE IS THAT
YOU ARE ASKED TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT OF CRITICAL THINKING,
WHERE YOU LEARN HOW TO EVALUATE IDEAS, EVALUATE THEORIES AND
HYPOTHESES AND FIGURE OUT WHY THEY DO OR DON'T MAKE SENSE AND
SO MANY PEOPLE I KNOW WHO HAVE BEEN TO COLLEGE ARE STILL SO
GULLIBLE AND CREDULOUS WHEN THEY'RE SEEING THINGS ON THE
INTERNET AND I HAVE HAD ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO SAY SOME
OF YOU ALL WILL SHARE ANYTHING. LIKE THINGS THAT CLEARLY
COULDN'T POSSIBLY MAKE ANY KIND OF SENSE DEMOGRAPHICALLY,
MATHEMATICALLY, WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE AT ALL IF YOU HAD YOUR
BRAINS OPERATING AND YET PEOPLE ARE SHOWING THIS WILLINGNESS TO
SHARE. AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK THIS
SPEAKS TO MY SIDE, THIS HELPS MY ARGUMENT, THIS HELPS MY SIDE AND
I'M GOING TO SHARE IT SO WHEN YOU MENTION THAT WE ALL HAVE TO
BECOME EDITORS, I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO ALSO BECOME A LOT MORE
CONSCIOUS ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT WE ARE READING, BUT ALSO WHAT WE
ARE SHARING. WHAT ARE WE PUTTING OUT THERE?
HOW ARE WE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS MADNESS OUT THERE, THAT PEOPLE
ARE WILLING TO BELIEVE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING?
I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE CORE VALUES OF THE PRESS'S ROLE IN
THE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, BUT I DO THINK THAT ALL OF WHAT WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT
GETS BETTER. OKAY.
THAT'S A REALLY CHEERFUL WAY TO END THE EVENING.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU LIN.
SO WE'VE RUN OUT OF TIME FOR OUR QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SEGMENT AND
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR THEIR INSIGHT ON
THIS MONTH'S TOPIC. WHEN WE RETURN WE'LL HAVE A FEW
CLOSING COMMENTS. ♪♪
♪♪ WHAT A TERRIFIC
CONVERSATION. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WE COULD
TALK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, BUT OBVIOUSLY, I'M IMPRESSED WITH
THE AUDIENCE AND WITH THE PANEL, AS WELL.
AND IT'S COMMITTED ME TO THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE ROLE IS
OF PUBLIC MEDIA, AND I THINK WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY.
AND A VERY GOOD REPUTATION I THINK, TOO.
WELL, THANK YOU AND THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR
TONIGHT'S PROGRAM. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT LPB.ORG/PUBLICSQUARE TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS ON
TONIGHT'S SHOW. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
YOU MAY ALSO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
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JOIN "LOUISIANA PUBLIC SQUARE" NEXT MONTH AS IT EXPLORES THIS
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SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE OR PROBLEM? THANKS FOR WATCHING AND GOOD
NIGHT. GOOD NIGHT.
♪♪ ♪♪
♪♪ ♪♪
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