Journalism and the Public: Restoring the Trust
Is the mainstream media in a death spiral? Can improving editorial quality and trust save…
Georgia (Aug 9, 2005) — Journalism and the Public: Restoring the Trust
Frances Weyand
Abstract
Contact: Frances Weyand‚ 770−423−6203 or fweyand@kennesaw.edu
Is the mainstream media in a death spiral? Can improving editorial quality and trust
save journalism? These questions will be under discussion at the Journalism and the
Public: Restoring the Trust conference‚ Aug. 9‚ at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel
in San Antonio‚ Texas.
Participating conference speakers include‚ Craig Newmark‚ founder of craigslist.com;
Jay Rosen‚ chair of the New York University journalism school and one of the nation’s
foremost media critics; Dan Gillmor‚ a former Silicon Valley columnist author of “We
the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People‚ for the People;” Philip Meyer‚ author
of “The Vanishing Newspaper;” Dori Maynard‚ president of the Maynard Institute‚ who
will discuss the consequences of ignoring ethnic markets; David Gyimah‚ producer‚
journalist and senior lecturer at the University of Westminster in England; and Chris
Nolen‚ one of a new breed of “stand−alone” journalists.
The conference is the centerpiece of a one−year Restoring the Trust project‚ which
is designed to help journalists‚ academics and the public begin a change process to
build greater trust between journalists and the public. The project is a direct response
to the CBS/Dan Rather firestorm of criticism and the September 2004‚ Gallup Poll‚
which reported‚ “the news media’s credibility has declined significantly‚ with just
44 percent of Americans expressing confidence in the media’s ability to report news
stories accurately and fairly.”
“Restoring the Trust” was developed by Leonard Witt‚ the Robert D. Fowler Distinguished
Chair in Communication at Kennesaw State University‚ and Cole Campbell‚ dean of the
Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada−Reno‚ in consultation with
the PJNet and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s
Civic Journalism and Community Journalism interest groups. The project is underwritten
in part by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing
student population of 18‚000 from 132 countries. The third largest state university
out of 34 institutions in the University System of Georgia‚ KSU offers more than 55
undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 38,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
