Category: Democracy
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When the reporters disappear, who’s watching city hall?
As McClatchy cuts reporters, local politicians lose a headache—and communities lose a watchdog. Now that the smoke is clearing from the hedge-fund-inspired cuts at McClatchy newspapers, we’re getting a clearer picture of its “news” strategy across 30 newsrooms from California to Florida. The direction is stark: fewer reporters, fewer local voices and, especially, fewer journalists…
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Journalists’ lament: PIO gatekeepers are deliberately blocking access to public officials
The people hired to help journalists reach public officials are instead becoming the barriers who keep them apart. One of the concerns journalists raised during Thursday’s First Amendment program at Fresno State was a troubling barrier to access: Public officials are increasingly becoming less available to the journalists whose job is to cover them. Instead,…
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Valley Public Radio overcomes Congress’ move to silence public radio in America
Congressional defunding of public broadcasting has created challenges for many stations, but KVPR is using the cuts as a catalyst for growth. It has been just over a year since the Republican-led Congress cut federal funding for public broadcasting, citing allegations that PBS and NPR stations exhibited a liberal bias. The intent was clear: to…
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California officials want to make it harder to see what government is doing. They hope no one objects.
A proposal to restrict access to public records is fueling concerns that transparency is taking a back seat to government convenience. In California, state elected officials are seeking to restrict public access to government records — a troubling development that threatens transparency and weakens one of the public’s most important tools for holding government accountable.…
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The price we pay for taking journalism for granted
Journalism’s greatest challenge may be that its benefits are easiest to see after they’ve been lost. California just held a primary election. As I watched the returns come in, I found myself thinking less about who won and lost than about a deeper question: What makes an informed vote possible? Not campaigns, advertising, or political…
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Public agencies don’t like releasing public records
Even when the law requires disclosure, getting documents can be an uphill battle. It may sound ironic, but the very people entrusted with maintaining public records are often the first to argue for keeping them private. The government offices that are supposed to safeguard transparency can become the places where access is slowed, narrowed, or…
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Fresnoland, Fresno Bee and Mariposa Gazette take top honors in Gruner journalism awards
By Royal Calkins A Fresnoland reporter and teams of journalists from the Fresno Bee and Mariposa Gazette won top honors for public service Thursday in the 38th-annual George F. Gruner Journalism Awards at California State University Fresno. The Gruner awards recognize outstanding journalism by newspapers and digital news operations around the San Joaquin Valley. They are named for the…
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Fresno State journalism grad Manny Fernandez on the relentless reporting that revealed Cesar Chavez’s sexual misconduct
The story behind the New York Times reporting that challenged the public image of the iconic farm labor leader. The New York Times exposé that brought down civil rights icon Cesar Chavez was always destined to be more than a mere investigative story. It’s a testament to the persistence of journalism and the courage of survivors who…
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What I witnessed on the UFW picket line at the start of the grape strike: A struggle to improve life for those who harvest our crops
From early mornings to heated debates, the human stories behind the farm labor movement unfolded before me. The monumental downfall of the late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez brings back vivid memories of my time as a young journalist covering the grape strike in California’s San Joaquin Valley vineyards during the 1970s. It was a…
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Without reporters covering city hall, school board, planning commission meetings, democracy at local level threatened by an uninformed citizenry
When I watch TV coverage of a news conference at the White House, I’m reminded of how reporting resources are disproportionately allocated in today’s news environment. The dozens of journalists at the White House are essentially giving us the same story, while many city council and school board meetings across America are not being covered…
