Lubetkin on Communications Podcast: The future of a free press in the US, with Joe Weber, journalism professor and Substack commentator

CHERRY HILL, NJ (SBN) — The free press in the United States is facing a super storm of challenges, from declining readership of print news publications to the loss of advertising revenue to online platforms, and the blistering attacks on its credibility from politicians ranging from local leaders all the way up to President Trump, with his baseless accusations of false reporting and his attacks on freedom of the press.

To comment on the state of the free news media in the US, this week’s guest on SBN Newsmakers is Joe Weber, who is the Jerry and Karla Huse Professor emeritus of News-Editorial at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Joe has also been a visiting professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and previously spent more than two decades as a writer and editor at BusinessWeek, concluding his tenure there as Chief of Correspondents.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:42 — 46.7MB)

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He is currently a top commentator on Substack, the exciting new platform for independent journalism, where he writes The Big Picture. You can subscribe at https://josephweber.substack.com/.

In this conversation, Joe Weber discusses the evolution of journalism, highlighting the significant changes from traditional print media to the current landscape dominated by digital platforms and independent voices. He emphasizes the decline of local news and its implications for democracy, the challenges posed by corporate media ownership, and the rise of Substack as a platform for independent journalism. Weber also addresses the impact of political bias on news consumption and the disconnect between voters and reality, ultimately expressing cautious optimism for the future of democracy.

You can also watch the video of our conversation in the player below.

SBN Newsmakers shows are also available on the Roku streaming service. You can subscribe to our Roku channel at https://bit.ly/SBNroku.