Journalism remains essential to holding power accountable and repelling autocratic trends. At a time of global democratic erosion, journalism confronts multiple challenges — economic precarity, political pressures, lack of trust, precarious work conditions, and a dwindling ability to command public attention amid (dis)information abundance. But democracies do not have an alternative institution to do what journalism does on any given day, despite its shortcomings and limitations. The fact that autocrats fear and persecute journalism is a telling sign that journalism is still relevant to scrutinize power, bring public awareness to important matters, and spark actions by other democratic institutions. In this talk, Prof. Silvio Waisbord will interrogate the global role of journalism as authoritarianism and populism gain ground and civil society faces escalating crises.

This event is the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's distinguished McGranahan Lecture and is co-sponsored by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.