The panel “Maintaining Trust in Journalism from Reporters to Aggregators and Everything in Between” was held at the Paley Center for Media in New York during its International Council Summit. Leopoldo Gomez, president, Univision News; Simone Swink, executive producer, Good Morning America; and Matt Murray, editor in chief, The Wall Street Journal, were on the panel, and Alberto Ibarguen, president and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, moderated.
Gomez spoke about the polarization going on in America, amid politics and the culture war, and how that erodes trust in the news. “It’s a huge challenge going forward,“ he said.
Swink mentioned how fake news has become a catchphrase, but many who use the term do have a degree of trust in certain individuals and organizations. “When people start locking in on individual brands and individuals bringing them the news,” Swink said, the trust level in news is much higher.
Murray said a newsroom might start every day, assuming readers and viewers don't trust the product, then set out to earn it each day.
Swink brought up the challenge of covering politicians who deny the results of the 2020 election. “How much sound do you play from them?” she asked. “If you choose not to play that sound, are you telling the whole story?”
Swink described that as a daily discussion that did not exist a couple of years ago.
Ibarguen asked what news might look like five years down the road, and how much disruption is needed to retain its relevance. Gomez said the biggest challenge is reaching what he called the “really young,” those 18-35.
Murray shared that news might not need all that much of an upheaval. “There are things about journalism that should not be disrupted, that we should cling to,” he said. “People are always going to need and seek out news.” ■
